


Satisfied

by molstrom



Category: Sons of Anarchy, Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:55:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 32
Words: 54,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26788555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/molstrom/pseuds/molstrom
Summary: The Mars family moves to Charming after Lianne receives the pictures of Veronica with the gunsight printed over her face. Lilly is not dead. Veronica meets Juice and is instantly smitten
Relationships: Juice Ortiz/Veronica Mars
Comments: 10
Kudos: 16





	1. One

I’m sitting at a table in the corner of the bar nursing a drink while I watch Lilly and Logan dance when someone walks up and sits down. He leans over and says quietly:  
“You strike me as a woman who has never been satisfied.”  
“Excuse me?”  
I turn to look at him in disbelief and am struck, as if by lightning, by how beautiful he is. He shrugs and starts to stand up, so I say:  
“Does that line usually work for you?”  
“Yeah, actually.”  
“Hmm.”  
“What hmm?”  
“It’s just not a good line. I don’t think it’s the line that works for you, I think you’re just too pretty for a horny/lonely/heartbroken/etc woman to turn down.”  
“So you’re not any of those things?”  
“I don’t believe in one-night stands. You’re barking up the wrong tree. Sorry.”  
“How about a two-night stand?”  
“Nope. Strictly a relationship gal.”

Lilly starts waving me over, so I stand up to walk over, noticing him run his eyes over me, taking in the short shorts, tight tank top, and killer heels. Before I leave the table I run my hand over his shoulders and bend down to run my tongue along the edge of his ear before whispering:  
“If I was a one-night stand kind of girl, we’d already be fucking in the bathroom.”

I bite my lip and smirk as I walk away, knowing he’s watching every step.

When I get to Lilly and Logan, Lilly grabs me and kisses me before saying:  
“My darling Ronnie, who is that gorgeous man who can’t keep his eyes off of you?”  
“I have no idea. He’s beautiful though, right?”  
“He didn’t even blink when I kissed you…I wonder how he’ll react if Logan kisses you. Oh, lover…”  
Logan says:  
“Yes, Lilly?”  
“Kiss Veronica. Make it good, like you want to fuck her right here.”  
He grins and pulls me towards him before whispering:  
“I think I can handle that.”  
He bends down and kisses me, running his hands down my back until they are on my ass as he deepens the kiss. Before the kiss is done, I’m being pulled back away from him and once I’m out of Logan’s arms, I hear a semi-familiar voice growl in my ear:  
“Mine.”  
“Really? Yours, huh?”

He turns me around and kisses me and I melt against him, wrapping my arms around his neck and playing with the ends of his collar-length hair. When we separate, I say:  
“Take me home.”  
“Thought you didn’t believe in one-night stands.”  
“I don’t. That’s not what this is going to be.”  
“That’s all I do.”  
“That’s all you did. Trust me, by the end of tonight; you’ll be singing a different tune.”  
“I’m Jax.”  
“Veronica.”

He takes my hand and leads me outside to a motorcycle. He hands me his helmet and gets on. I get on behind him and wrap my arms around him. We pull up outside of a hotel and we get off the bike.  
“You from out of town, or married?”  
“I live in Charming, which is an hour away and I want to fuck you now.”  
“Well, lead the way.”

When we go inside he bypasses the front desk, so it’s clear he never intended to take the woman he picked up tonight back to Charming. My guess is that he’s married, which would normally be an issue for me, but right now I don’t care.

We are barely inside the hotel room when his mouth is on mine again. I push his jacket off and pull away from his mouth to pull his shirt off. I bite my lip when I see his gorgeous body. He has well-defined abs and pecs, his shoulders are broad and it looks like he does hundreds of push-ups a day.

He bends over to take my shoes off and I see a giant tattoo on his back. When I realize what it is I say:  
“Shit.”  
“What?”  
“I should have figured it out. Charming, Jax. You’re Jackson Teller. VP of SAMCRO.”  
He starts kissing my neck and says:  
“Yeah, I am.”  
“Stop. I can’t fuck you.”  
“Explain.”  
“I’m Veronica Mars. The new deputy chief’s daughter? The new deputy chief’s minor daughter? My Dad will literally kill you.”  
“Shit. Seriously?”  
“Yeah.”  
“How minor?”  
“I’m seventeen.”  
He looks at me for a minute and then says:  
“Fuck it.”  
He kisses me and quickly undoes my shorts and his pants before pushing his pants down. I whimper against his mouth when I open my eyes and see how beautiful his cock is. I pull off of his mouth and drop to my knees in front of him, licking my lips before I run my tongue along the length of his cock and circle the head before I take him into my mouth. Before I can start moving, he starts thrusting into my mouth, so I move my tongue along him as he does, sucking gently and humming in my throat. When he groans and says:  
“I’m going to come.”  
I moan and suck harder as he thrusts. When he jerks in my mouth, I swallow and lick his cock clean before letting him go with a pop. 

He pulls me back to my feet and takes my shirt off before bending down and taking one of my nipples in his teeth, flicking his tongue across it. I cry out and he pushes my shorts and panties down before picking me up and carrying me across the room. He throws me onto the bed and climbs on after me, positioning himself between my legs. He puts one on each shoulder and licks at my pussy, dipping his tongue in the entrance before sucking my clit into his mouth and holding it between his teeth while he flicks his tongue over it. It takes a while because he’s not giving me any other stimulation, but it’s worth it because when I orgasm it’s intense and I scream while gripping the blanket on the bed under me.

I pull him up to me so I can kiss him and lick my juices off of his face. He pulls back and says:  
“Can I fuck you without a condom?”  
“No.”  
“Okay. It was worth a shot.”  
He climbs off of me to get a condom out of his pants pocket. I watch him slide it on, then he says:  
“Flip over.”

I flip over and before I can adjust my position I feel him behind me. He pulls my hips up and slams into me and I scream. I tighten my pelvic muscles around him and rock back into him each time he thrusts into me. When he’s getting close, he pulls me up so I’m sitting on his legs as he kneels on the bed. He has one arm pressed against my throat and his other hand is rubbing circles on my clit. He growls in my ear:  
“Come for me, Veronica.”  
I lean my head back against his shoulder and say:  
“Harder, Jax.”  
He bites my ear and rubs harder on my clit and tightens his arm slightly on my throat. I come whimpering his name and I feel him jerk inside of me as he follows me over the edge. I wait until he lets me go and then I climb off of him and walk into the bathroom to get cleaned up before getting dressed. 

Once I’m dressed, I grab my phone and message Logan with where I am so they can come to get me. He looks at me and says:  
“You aren’t staying?”  
“No. You only do one-night stands, remember?”  
“Stay with me.”  
“Goodbye, Jackson.”

I turn and walk out of the hotel room, pulling the door closed behind me before heading downstairs to wait for Logan and Lilly.

—————————

Two weeks later I’m sitting on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck because my piece of shit car broke down and it’s apparently something I don’t know how to fix. I happened to be on the phone with Dad when the car broke down, so he called the garage for me…Needless to say I am a little shocked when a Teller-Morrow truck pulls up, I expected Dad to call a shop that isn’t owned by a criminal organization. The guy driving is really hot…he looks Puerto Rican…He says:  
“I assume you’d like a ride somewhere, rather than me just leaving you on the side of the road.”  
I laugh and say:  
“That would be preferable, yes. I’ll just come to the shop. If it’s not something quick, I can walk home from there.”  
“Sure. I’m Juice, by the way.”  
“Your Mother named you Juice? How very avant-garde of her.”  
He laughs and says:  
“My mother named me Juan, but everyone calls me Juice. Did your Mother give you a name or should I just refer to you as tiny blonde pain in the ass?”  
“Many people do refer to me that way, but the name is Veronica. I also answer to ‘Ronnie’, ‘Ronica’, ‘V’, ‘hey you’ and one of my friends even calls me ‘Supafly’. I’m easy.”  
“Well, get in the truck and I’ll hook the car up.”  
“Thanks.”

I watch him work in the mirror and enjoy the sight of his muscles bulging under his very tight t-shirt. When he’s working on the other side of the car and I can’t see him in the mirror anymore, I look around the truck. Behind his seat is a leather vest. I pull it out and look at it and sigh heavily before putting it back. 

He gets in the truck and says:  
“I’ve never seen anyone have quite that reaction when they see the cut. They’re either interested or worried…You though…You seem almost dejected. Why?”  
“It was just a sigh, and since you’ve known me for about five minutes, I don’t think you are an expert in what my sighs mean.”  
He moves his face close to mine and says:  
“I’d like to be.”  
I visibly take a deep breath before I say:  
“I’m only seventeen.”  
He sits back and says:  
“Noted.”

My phone rings as we start driving and I answer it when I see it’s Lilly.  
“Hey, Lils.”  
“Veronica. Let’s go to the club tonight. Just you and me.”  
“Why just us? What about that boyfriend of yours?”  
“I dumped him.”  
“Again?”  
“Yes. He was annoying me.”  
“And you have no other guys on deck? Lilly, I’m shocked and disappointed in this sudden apparent growth as a human.”  
“That’s why I want to go to the club. Maybe we’ll run into that sexy dude you fucked last time.”  
“We don’t have to go to the club for that Lils. I know where to find him.”  
“I’m on my way to Charming. Why did you have to move so far away?”  
“We moved to Charming because your mother hired your father’s head of security to take pictures of me with gunsights over my face in order to scare my mother away from your father. It worked. Now I live so very fucking far away from all of my friends, not just you…And the ocean…I miss the ocean.”  
“You don’t miss Duncan though.”  
“No, I do not miss your brother. I’ll see you when you get here, Lilly.”  
I hang up and roll my eyes as I put my phone in my purse. I lean my head back against the headrest and stare out the window. Juice says:  
“Who is Lilly?”  
“My best friend. She’s a handful…extremely difficult.”

I pull my phone back out and call Dad’s cell. He doesn’t answer, so I call the police station.   
“Charming PD.”  
“Hi, Deputy Chief Mars please.”  
“One second.”  
Juice is looking at me out of the corner of his eye, but before I can say anything to him, Dad picks up.  
“Mars.”  
“Hey, Daddy. I just wanted to warn you that Miss Lilly Kane is on her way. I have a feeling we’re going to be stuck with her for the weekend, she dumped Logan again.”  
“Well, that’s a problem, because Logan showed up at the station twenty minutes ago.”  
“Well, shit. So we’re stuck with both Lilly and her current ex-boyfriend all weekend? Shoot me now. Can I just stay somewhere else? Arrest me for something, Daddy. I’ll stay in a cell this weekend.”  
“You had to expect Logan would show up. He always does when they’re broken up.”  
“Seriously…Arrest me for something. I have a fake ID in my wallet right now. It’s really well done, you’ll be torn between being proud of my work and being irritated that I made fake IDs. Seriously…arrest me, don’t leave me with those two all weekend.”  
“How good?”  
“Got me into a club in Oakland a couple of weeks ago. And got me served…And they actually checked IDs. It’s really good, Daddy.”  
“It’s your fault they are here/on their way here. Lilly always runs to you when she’s bored, and Logan is in love with you. Just put the kid out of his misery already.”  
“So…that’s a no for arresting me then?”  
“I’m not arresting you.”  
“Maybe Unser will. Can you give him the phone?”  
“No.”  
“If I’m grounded, will they have to go home?”  
“Yes.”  
I take a deep breath and say:  
“When I was at the club I met a guy. Went back to his hotel with him. You can ask Logan, he picked me up from the hotel two hours later.”  
“Do you know his name?”  
“Of course. But I’m not telling you. He is older and you will arrest him. The purpose of this confession is to tell you that I had sex with an older man that I had known for…ten minutes before we left the club. Ground me please.”  
“We’ll talk when you get home.”  
“Now you’re just not grounding me because I want to be grounded. So not cool, man.”  
“They’re your friends.”  
“They will put me in the middle like they always do, and as sexy as being the filling in a Lilly Kane and Logan Echolls sandwich sounds, it’s zero fun. Zero. No-one has fun.”  
“You find somewhere to stay and I’ll cover for you with your Mom. But we will talk about that little admission when I see you again.”  
“Fine.”  
I hang up and say to Juice:  
“You know any cheap hotels where a girl could hide for a weekend?”  
“The clubhouse has an apartment. It’s not much, but it has a bed and bathroom.”  
“People won’t care that I’m there?”  
“Not usually.”

He takes my phone out of my hand and dials a number.  
“Hey, it’s Juice.”  
…  
“It’s a friend’s phone. She needs a place to stay this weekend. Can she stay in the apartment?”  
…  
“Thanks. I’ll take her there now.”  
…  
“I’ll let her know.”

He hangs up and says:  
“Do you want me to detour by your house so you can grab clothes?”  
“Yes, but I think my Mom’s home.”  
“Okay. I’ll stop by later this evening with some sweatpants and t-shirts of mine then. They’ll be too big, but at least you can sleep in them.”  
“Thanks.”  
“So you can stay, just no snooping, okay, cop’s daughter?”  
“Okay.”  
“And lock the door when you’re in there. Just for your safety.”  
“Okay.”

We pull into the lot at Teller-Morrow and he parks the truck in front of the garage. He says:  
“Is there anything you need out of the car?”  
“My bag in the trunk.”  
We get out of the truck and he pops the trunk for me. I grab my laptop bag and school books and close the trunk.  
“Follow me.”

He leads me through the clubhouse and into a room in the back.   
“Here we are. Hide-outs-are-us.”  
“Thanks, Juice.”  
“You’re welcome. When your car is done we’ll park it in the back so it can’t be seen from the street. And when I bring the clothes later I’ll bring you some dinner too.”  
I kiss his cheek and say:  
“Thank you.”  
“Uh-huh. Lock the door.”  
“Yes sir.”

He leaves and I lock the door behind him. I sit down on the bed and pull my phone out to call Logan.  
“Hey, Ronnie.”  
“You have to stop showing up at my house every time she breaks up with you Lo.”  
“But I love you.”  
“Then don’t get back together with her. But stop dragging me into the middle of things. Stop making me lie to my best friend when she asks if you fucked anyone the last time you were broken up.”  
“Do you want me to go?”  
“Well, Lilly’s on her way, so it’s your call. I’m staying elsewhere this weekend. I have no interest in being in the middle anymore.”  
I hang up the phone and message Dad:  
‘I found a place to stay. I’m turning off my phone, don’t worry. I’m safe.’  
‘Where?’  
‘Somewhere safe.’  
‘With someone?’  
‘No. I am not staying with anyone. Will it make you feel better if I tell Unser where I am?’  
‘Yes.’  
‘Alright. I’ll call him now.’

I dial Unser’s cell number and wait for him to answer.  
“Veronica.”  
“Are you with my Dad?”  
“Nope. I’m not in the office.”  
“He wanted me to tell you where I’m staying this weekend since I won’t tell him.”  
“I know where you are staying. Open the door, Veronica.”  
There’s a knock on the door so I get up and open it. I hang up the phone when I see Wayne standing there.  
“Hi Wayne.”  
“Come stay with us.”  
“I’m fine here.”  
He walks into the room and closes the door. He takes my hand and leads me back to the bed. We sit on the edge and he says:  
“Which one of these assholes did you sleep with?”  
“How did you know it was one of them?”  
“Because it’s always one of them. They’re all man-whores, and very few of them would care that you’re only seventeen. Which one?”  
“Jax. He doesn’t know it’s me that’s here. Juice just said a friend.”  
“Were you just hoping to avoid him all weekend?”  
“I was planning on just staying in here, actually. Juice said he’d bring me food later.”  
“Fine. You call me if you need anything or if anyone bothers you. Got it?”  
“Yes, sir.”  
“Lock this door. Don’t let anyone but Juice in.”  
“Okay.”

He kisses the top of my head and leaves the room. I lock the door behind him and get settled on the bed with homework. I get all of my assignments done before there’s a knock on the door. I get up and walk over to the door, unlocking it and opening it to see Juice.  
“Hey.”  
He hands me a bag and says:  
“Clothes and dinner. You okay?”  
“Yeah. Talked to Unser earlier…he seemed worried that I was staying here. Should I be worried?”  
“No. No-one will touch you.”  
I run my fingers down his chest and say:  
“What if I want someone to touch me?”  
“I’d say call me when you’re eighteen.”  
I roll my eyes and say:  
“Fine. Be zero fun.”  
“I will.”  
He leans in and gently kisses me before saying:  
“When do you turn eighteen?”  
“August.”  
“Ugh.”  
I laugh and say:  
“Goodnight, Juice.”  
“Goodnight, V.”

I close and lock the door before seeing what he brought me for dinner.   
“Soup and salad? Ugh…oh wait, what’s this? Chocolate cake… well-done Juice.”

I’m just finishing eating when there’s a knock on the door. I unlock and open the door and Juice walks in. I close and lock the door behind him and as I turn around, his mouth is on mine. I kiss him back, running my hands under his shirt and moaning when I feel his abs.   
“I thought you were intent on waiting until I was eighteen.”  
“I changed my mind. Do you want this Veronica?”  
“This being your cock inside of me? Yes.”  
He groans and kisses me again, pushing me up against the door. When he moves away from my mouth he says:  
“I need to know why you sighed that way when you saw I was SAMCRO.”  
“The guy I met a couple of weeks ago? That I told my Dad about to try to get him to ground me? It was Jax.”  
“Oh.”  
“I sighed because I figured you wouldn’t want to fuck me if you knew that I’ve fucked him.”  
“And that early into our interaction you wanted to fuck me?”  
“Hell yes.”  
“It doesn’t bother me that you’ve fucked Jax.”  
“Good.”

I reach out and take his shirt off and I lick my lips when I look at him.  
“You look like you want to eat me for dessert.”  
“I really want to trace all of your muscles with my tongue…I’m going to control myself for now.”  
He laughs and pulls my shirt off and undoes my pants while I undo his. He pulls mine down and I step out of them and my panties. He kneels in front of me and lifts one of my legs over his shoulder before he starts licking and nibbling at my pussy lips. He slides two fingers into me as he starts sucking on my clit. I moan his name as he sucks harder and pumps his fingers with more force. I get louder as I beg him for more. He flicks his tongue over my clit and I come screaming his name. He gently pulls his fingers out of me, sucking my fluids off of them before putting my leg down and reaching in his pants pocket for a condom.

He slides it on after pushing his pants down. I look at him and say:  
“Goddamn. You might actually be perfect.”  
He smirks at me and picks me up, sliding into me in the same motion. He fucks me against the wall, thrusting into me so violently that my head slams into the wall with each one. I gasp loudly when he hits just the right spot and then scream when I suddenly orgasm after he hits it a few thrusts in a row. I run my hands over his head and shoulders, leaning in to bite his neck when he seems close. After one final thrust, he presses as deep into me as he can as he twitches in me, coming with a moan of my name.

When he pulls out and puts me down I say:  
“Stay?”  
“You want me to? You aren’t the hit it and quit it type of girl?”  
I laugh and say:  
“No. I am very much not the hit it and quit it type of girl. If you don’t want to stay, I understand.”  
He leans in and kisses me before saying:  
“I very much want to stay. I have a club meeting, but I’ll be back, okay?”  
“Okay.”

He gets dressed and I pull on one of the t-shirts he brought me. I say:  
“How old are you, Juice?”  
“Too old for you, little girl.”  
“Obviously.”  
“Twenty-three.”  
“That’s not so bad.”  
“Uh-huh. Lock this door behind me.”  
“Yup.”

He leaves and I lock the door behind him. I go to the washroom and clean up before putting my panties on and cleaning up all the clothes on the floor. I neatly stack my books on the dresser and lie on the bed before picking up my phone and turning it on. The first message that pops up is from Lilly:  
‘Logan tells me that every time we’re broken up he comes here and fucks you. He claims he’s in love with you. You and I? We’re done.’

There’s a message from Logan that says:  
‘I told Lilly the truth. Come home. Be with me.’

And there’s a message from Dad saying:  
‘There was a loud fight about you. Apparently you’ve been having sex with Logan whenever he was here. I’m not pleased with this turn of events. On the plus side, Lilly’s gone. Come home, Veronica.’

I send Logan a message saying:  
‘What part of I don’t want to be in the middle anymore means please tell Lilly the truth and make her hate me?’  
‘Now you’re not in the middle. Now we can be together.’  
‘I don’t want to be with you, Logan. Did you think about that?’  
‘Where are you right now?’  
‘That’s none of your business.’  
‘Are you with someone?’  
‘Not currently. Go home, Logan.’  
‘No. I need to see you.’  
‘But I don’t want to see you. I want you to go back to Neptune.’  
‘Ronnie…’  
‘No, Logan. Go home.’

I turn my phone off and throw it in my purse. I lie there on the bed and stare at the ceiling until there’s a knock on the door. I get up and unlock and open the door. Jax is standing outside.   
“Can I come in?”  
“No.”  
“So you’re fucking Juice now, huh?”  
“You only do one-night stands, so what do you care?”  
“You were right.”  
“I usually am…about what?”  
“By the end of the night, I wanted more than a one-night stand.”  
“It was a spectacular one-night stand…but that’s all it was. It’s not going to happen again, Jax.”  
“If I told him he wasn’t allowed to fuck you again, he’d follow orders.”  
“But why would you do that? Juice isn’t the reason I won’t fuck you again. Ordering him to not touch me just seems vindictive.”  
“Yeah…it does, doesn’t it? How about this? Get out. Find somewhere else to stay.”

He walks away and I storm after him. When we get to the main clubhouse, all the guys look at me. I yell at Jax:  
“You are seriously kicking me out because I won’t fuck you again?”  
“Yes.”  
“I am seventeen and when I did fuck you I was drunk. But I made sure to tell you who I was and how old I was, so you can’t even play the ‘oh I didn’t know how old she was’ card. You’re really doing this?”  
“Yes.”  
“Fine.”  
I walk over to the bar and pick up the phone, dialling Dad’s number.  
“Veronica. Where are you?”  
“The SAMCRO clubhouse, Daddy. Can you come to get me please? Jax Teller is kicking me out because I won’t fuck him.”  
“Does he understand that he just wronged the most vindictive human being on the planet?”  
“Not yet, he doesn’t. I’ll see you soon Daddy.”  
I hang up the phone and walk back into the apartment to get pants on and collect my things. I hear Jax bellow after me:  
“Did you just tell your father, the Deputy Chief, that I fucked you, a minor?!”  
I yell back:  
“Did I?! I’m pretty sure I didn’t say anything about past actions, asshole!”  
I walk out into the main clubhouse with my things, and he says:  
“If I go down, so does Juice.”  
“No. That’s not the way this works. Do you want to know how it works? It goes like this…. ‘Daddy, I have no idea what he’s talking about. Juice is just a nice guy who gave me some clothes to sleep in. He flirted a bit, sure, but as soon as he found out I’m only seventeen, he backed off. He didn’t do anything wrong, Daddy.’ Unlike Jax, who most definitely knew how old I was before he fucked me in his hotel room.”  
“We all heard you screaming.”  
“Hearsay. Sorry.”

I shove past him and walk out of the clubhouse as Dad pulls in. I open the passenger door and Dad says:  
“Am I arresting him and grounding you or just grounding you?”  
“Arresting who for what, Daddy?”  
“Guess you really like being grounded.”  
“So I’m getting grounded extra?”  
“Yup.”  
“Oh goody.”

I throw my stuff in the backseat and move to get in the car when Juice puts his hand on my waist and stops me. He leans in the car and says:  
“Deputy Chief Mars, I’m Juice Ortiz. I know I’m older than Veronica, but I really like her and would like to ask for your permission to date her.”  
“Actually date, or do you just want my permission to fuck my daughter?”  
“Actually date, sir.”  
“How old are you, Juice?”  
“Twenty-three, sir.”

Dad looks at me and says:  
“And how do you feel about this?”  
“I really like Juice, Daddy.”  
“Is he the one you slept with? The one from the club?”  
“No, sir.”  
“Fine. But strict rules will be applied and adhered to. I will compile the rules list tonight. Juice, come over tomorrow afternoon and we’ll talk.”  
“Yes, sir.”  
“I’m going to close my eyes now for exactly one minute. If you’re going to kiss my daughter goodnight, now would be your chance.”

Juice turns me around to face him before kissing me. He murmurs against my mouth:  
“I’m sorry about Jax, he’s an asshole. I promise to hit him later.”  
“Don’t bother. It’s fine. I’m fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”  
I kiss him again before Dad says:  
“Alright, that’s enough. In the car, Veronica.”  
Juice kisses my cheek as I turn to get in the car. Once I’m in, Dad drives off. While we’re on the way home he says:  
“It was Teller, wasn’t it?”  
“Yeah. It was.”  
“Did he force you?”  
“No, Dad. He didn’t.”  
“It’s not going to happen again?”  
“No. I really like Juice…like, a lot.”  
“So you don’t want me to do anything about Teller?”  
“No. He’s an asshole, but that’s not a crime.”

As we pull into the driveway at home, I say:  
“Logan’s truck is still here…Why is Logan still here?”  
“He says he wants to talk to you.”  
“Not interested.”  
“Just go up to bed. Lock your door. Come out when Juice comes over tomorrow afternoon.”  
“Yeah, Okay.”


	2. Two

The next afternoon, I’m sitting in the living room reading a book and trying to ignore Logan when the doorbell rings. I get up to answer it, and it’s Juice. I quickly look around for Dad, and when I don’t see him, I wrap my arms around Juice’s neck and pull him towards me so I can kiss him. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me closer as he deepens the kiss. We kiss until Dad clears his throat behind me. I slowly pull away from Juice and say:  
“I guess you should come in.”

He grabs my hand and intertwines our fingers as I lead him into the living room. I sit at the end of the couch cross-legged with my back against the armrest, and I pull him down so he’s sitting with the side of his leg pressed up against my knees and his back against the back of the couch. I hold one of his hands in both of mine and say:  
“Breathe. I’m pretty sure he already likes you. You asked for permission to date me. That’s impressive.”  
“Yeah, but you’re a cop’s daughter and I’m a criminal with a long record, and I’m part of a criminal organization.”  
“Yeah…there’s also the small detail of you being six years older than me.”  
“Yeah…That small detail too.”

I put my hand on his chin and pull his head closer to me before whispering in his ear:  
“You got this.”  
“This being you?”  
“Yup.”  
He grins before I kiss his cheek and let go of his chin, going back to holding his hand.

Dad comes into the room and sits down before saying:  
“How did the two of you meet?”  
“Juice was the tow truck driver yesterday.”  
“So I could have avoided this by calling a different shop?”  
“It’s a small town Daddy. At best you could have postponed it.”  
“I’ve looked at his record. I’m not impressed.”  
“Daddy…you aren’t impressed by anyone.”  
“Not true. I liked Leo.”  
“Because he was one of your deputies! And you liked him significantly less when we started dating.”  
“Because he let you talk him into things.”  
I shrug.  
“So? Can we focus please?”  
“You’re grounded for two weeks. Any dating has to wait until after your sentence ends.”  
“Just to be clear, am I being grounded for fucking Jax or that idiot?”  
“Jax. I haven’t thought of your punishment for this yet. Speaking of which, go home Logan.”

Logan looks at Dad in shock and says:  
“Sheriff…”  
“Not a sheriff anymore, Logan.”  
“Sorry, Deputy Chief. You’re really kicking me out? I love Ronnie. He just wants to fuck her.”  
“If you love my daughter, why do you keep going back to Lilly? Why do you only show up here when Lilly dumps you? No, son. You don’t love my daughter. You use her as a fucking consolation prize when Lilly breaks up with you. My daughter is worth more than being your second choice! Get out. Go home.”

Logan stands up and walks across the room to me before saying:  
“I love you. That club just wants to use you as a whore, and you’re letting them. You’re no better than Lilly.”

Juice lets go of my hand and stands up, putting himself between Logan and me. Logan steps closer like he’s trying to intimidate Juice, but Juice doesn’t move or blink. They’re the same height, but Juice has muscle mass that Logan doesn’t have, and I can see the moment when Logan realizes that if he tries to fight Juice he will lose.

Logan starts to walk away, and I say:  
“Logan?”  
“Yeah, Ronnie?”  
“Don’t come back.”  
“This is a mistake, Veronica.”  
“No. I don’t think it is.”

After he walks out of the house, Dad says:  
“I’m not going to punish you for that. I think having Logan and Lilly both mad at you is punishment enough, those entitled brats are vindictive. Speaking of being vindictive, do I need to worry about you starting a war with Teller for being an asshole?”  
“No.”  
“Good. Because I do not have the energy for that, Veronica. Now go to your room so I can talk to Juice in private.”  
“Daddy…”  
“What am I going to do? Threaten him? I’m a cop, he’s a criminal. He knows the drill. Go.”  
“Do I have to go to my room, or can I go for a run?”  
“Go ahead.”  
“Thank you.”

Juice is still standing in front of me when I stand up, so I wrap my arms around his waist and hug him, saying:  
“Thank you.”  
“I will always put myself between you and someone that wants to hurt you.”  
I stand on my toes and softly kiss him before saying:  
“Good man. Bye Juice.”

I walk upstairs and change for a run, getting my music and headphones on my way out of my room. When I leave the house, Dad and Juice seem to be having a pleasant conversation.

About halfway through my run, I hear a motorcycle over my music. When I look over at the street, I see Jax parking his bike. I shake my head and continue my run, speeding up slightly as I round the corner into the park. When I come out of the park on the other side, he’s leaning against his bike just outside the gate. I take my headphones out and say:  
“What?”  
“I’m sorry.”  
“For what?”  
“For kicking you out. For being an asshole.”  
“Yeah. Okay.”

I go to put my headphones in and he sighs and says:  
“Veronica.”  
“What?!”  
“I want more than a one-night stand with you.”  
“That’s unfortunate. I told you. That’s all it was.”  
“You are the one who said you were a relationship person.”  
“Yeah, but then I realized I don’t want a relationship with you and that a one-night stand was just fine.”  
“When did you decide that?”  
“That night. That’s why I left.”  
“And Juice?”  
“I really like him. I want a relationship with him.”  
“What? The sex was just that much better? Really?”  
“Unlike you, who approached me in a club with a lame pick-up line, Juice had an actual conversation with me. Talked to me like I was a person and not just something to stick his dick into. Also…yes. Goodbye Jackson.”

I put my headphones in and start my run again, crossing the street behind his bike to get back to my street. I run into some of the girls from my cheerleading team coming out of the ice cream shop, and take my headphones out to say hi. Chloe — my favourite girl on the team and probably my best friend in Charming says:  
“Veronica! Way to make us feel bad about our life choices. We’re getting ice cream and you’re out for a run.”  
I laugh and say:  
“Don’t worry. I had a giant piece of chocolate cake last night. I’m just trying to work it off and avoid my Dad at the same time.”

The other two girls, Michelle and Angela, are looking behind me as they say:  
“Why is Jax Teller staring at you?”  
I roll my eyes and say:  
“It’s a long story, ladies, and I’m currently grounded so I should get home. Slumber party once I’m free?”  
“Uh…Yes. Please just tell us though…How big is his cock?”  
I laugh and say:  
“That obvious, huh?”  
“It’s a pretty hungry stare.”  
“It’s a nice size. And he knows how to use it. But it was just once and it’s not happening again.”  
“Why the hell not?”  
“Because I kind of fell for one of the other guys in the club.”  
I shrug.  
“I really have to go ladies.”  
Chloe says:  
“What about games and practices and pep rallies while you’re grounded? We have a busy few weeks ahead of us.”  
“Cheerleading events are usually allowed. I’ll talk to the warden and confirm though.”  
“Good. Text me later and let me know.”  
“Will do.”

I hug them all and put my headphones back in before continuing on my run. Before I get too far though, I can hear a motorcycle again. I just shake my head and continue on. I’m close to the house when arms grab me from behind and I shriek. I take my headphones out and turn around to see Wallace. I grin at him and shake my head.  
“Papa Bear! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”  
“Sorry, Supafly. You were in your own little world there.”  
I wrap my arms around him and hug him before saying:  
“I wish you had called before coming, I’m grounded.”  
“Oh, I know. Keith told me. He also told me why. Sex with a biker, Supafly?”  
“Yeah, well…Two, actually. What about you Wallace? Your life still a non-stop Nelly video?”  
“You know it. So much so that my Mom decided that I need to move to this sleepy ass little town to live with my ex-almost-stepfather and his pain in the butt daughter.”  
“Seriously?!”  
“Yup. Apparently Neptune is destroying my soul.”  
“Well, it is. Because it sits on a fucking Hellmouth.”  
“Well, I’m here until graduation, at least. So from now on, you are the only bad influence in my life, Supafly. I hope you understand your responsibility here.”  
“Oh, I do. The other cheerleaders are gonna love you, Wallace.”  
“Good looking out, V.”  
“What are ex-almost-stepsisters for?”  
“I’m not sure…It’s a pretty niche subset.”  
I laugh and say:  
“That is true. Come on, let’s go home.”  
“I’m not running with you, Veronica.”  
“Come on Wallace. What kind of baller are you? You’re gonna let a little cheerleader beat you home? I am disappointed in you Wallace Fennel! Move that ass!”  
“You’re the worst.”  
“You love me. Let’s go.”

By the time we get home we’re both panting, so we collapse in the front yard. I pat Wallace’s thigh and say:  
“I’ve died, Papa Bear. Carry me inside.”  
“Sorry, Supafly, I don’t think I can move. Clearly this is where we die. Hopefully, they’ll give us a nice burial.”  
“Whose idea was it to race? We should hurt that person.”  
“That was you, tiny competitive pain in the ass.”  
“Oh…right. Well, fuck past me. She’s a masochist.”  
“And a sadist…Why do you suck so bad, Mars?”  
I laugh and stand up before pulling him to his feet.  
“Come on. I made snickerdoodles yesterday.”  
“Ah…and that’s why you’re my favourite.”  
“The way to Wallace’s heart: cookies.”  
“Obviously. Especially since the girl can bake!”

We walk into the house together, and Dad says:  
“I see your brother found you.”  
“Obviously. I had a shadow for my whole run though…Very irritating.”  
“Who was following you?”  
“Jax.”  
Juice says:  
“I’ll talk to him, babe.”  
“Thanks. Talking though. Don’t start a fight with your VP, okay?”  
“Yeah…Although he deserves to be punched after last night.”  
“Juice.”  
He stands up and walks over to me before saying:  
“I won’t. I’m going to go. We’ve got club stuff today. I’ll call you later, okay?”  
“Okay.”  
He leans in and kisses me before leaving the house.

I look at Dad and say:  
“So you’ve decided to let Juice and I date?”  
“Yes. He seems like a reasonable person. But if I have to arrest him, we may have to revisit it.”  
“Fair…Daddy, about my grounding…”  
“Yes, daughter?”  
“I am allowed to participate in school and cheerleading activities, correct? Games, pep rallies, practices? We have a busy few weeks coming up.”  
“Yes. And I gave Juice your schedule, so if he shows up at a game or practice and the two of you hang out afterwards — with the other cheerleaders — how am I to know?”  
“Thanks, Daddy.”


	3. Three

I’m pretty busy with practices and pep rallies for the next week, so aside from a quick interaction at Teller-Morrow when I went to pick up my car, I don’t see Juice until the following Friday. 

The basketball team has a game, so I’m there cheering when Juice walks in and sits in the bleachers. I try not to look at him, but I can feel his eyes on me the whole first half of the game. During halftime, we perform our competition cheer, so there are flips and lifts that we don’t normally perform during games. When I catch Juice’s eye early in the routine, he has a giant grin on his face. As we finish the routine, there’s a lift where one of the male cheerleaders has to hold me up in a seated position, which involves his hand braced against my pelvis. When I see Juice he looks pissed. 

After halftime, I whisper to Chloe:  
“I’m going to duck out, okay? I’ll meet you at the ice cream parlour after.”  
“Yeah, okay.”

I leave the gym, knowing Juice will follow me. When he wraps his arms around me, I turn around to face him.  
“Hi.”  
“I did not like that.”  
“It’s the proper technique for that particular lift. His fingers are spread out along the bone. He’s not touching anything he shouldn’t be.”  
“Still…”  
“Would it make you feel better if I told you that he’s gay?”  
“Yes. Is he?”  
“No. But I could tell you that if you want.”  
“Brat.”  
I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him to me so I can kiss him before saying:  
“I need to go get changed. We have about two hours before I have to meet the girls and Wallace at the ice cream parlour.”  
“What should we do with that time?”  
“I have some thoughts…”  
“Are your parents home?”  
“Unless my mother has made a trip to Neptune to fuck Lilly’s Dad…yes.”  
“To my house then. Go get changed.”

I go into the locker room and quickly change my clothes, putting on jeans and a t-shirt before grabbing my bag and walking back out to the hallway. Juice wraps his arm around my shoulders and I wrap mine around his waist and we walk out of the school. 

We’re halfway to Juice’s motorcycle when I hear a voice say:  
“Veronica Mars.”  
I sigh and turn around saying:  
“Clarence.”  
“I’m not supposed to be here, so I’ll make it quick. Celeste found out Lianne is still sleeping with Jake. When I refused the contract to kill you — like Celeste threatened Lianne she would do—“  
I interrupt:  
“She threatened that using surveillance photos you took of me, Clarence. You are the one who stalked a teenage girl and took pictures of her with a fucking gunsight on her face and sent them to her mother.”  
“On Celeste’s orders. You know that.”  
“Who did she hire?”  
“Liam Fitzpatrick.”  
“Oh good. She sent the resident sociopath after me. Because he hasn’t wanted to hurt me all on his own accord for years now.”  
“Be careful, Veronica.”  
“Did you tell Dad?”  
“Yes. He said he’d have some of the cops follow you, but then Unser said he should let the club handle it. Last I saw he was talking to a blonde in a cut.”  
“Jax.”  
“Sure. Now, I have to go supervise your mother packing her things. I’ll try to keep her from stealing your university money again.”  
“What university money? I spent it all on her rehab and then she stole that $50,000 I got for finding Duncan. I don’t have a job here. I have no university money for her to steal. This is it. Charming is my life now…All thanks to Mommy Dearest.”  
“Call me if you decide you want to change your employment status, Veronica. I may have an opening for a brain like yours.”  
“I’ll think about it.”  
Clarence walks away as my phone rings. As I answer it I hear:  
“Hiya, Blondie.”  
“Liam.”  
“Good guess. Step away from the biker unless you want to watch him die.”

I step away from Juice, gesturing at him to stay where he is.  
“Good girl. Now, I do apologize. If it were up to me, we’d have some fun before I kill you, but the client has requested I make it fast.”  
“Define fast.”  
“She specifically told me I wasn’t allowed to rape you first.”  
“Well, thank goodness for small favours.”  
“I think I’m going to make that very angry biker watch you bleed to death slowly though, so I’m going to shoot you in the stomach.”  
“That seems unnecessary. If you’re going to shoot me, just shoot me in the head and get it over with.”  
“Typical little girl…Afraid of a little suffering.”  
“Liam…You know Dad is going to kill you for this, right?”  
“Keith Mars won’t do anything. Losing his baby will break him.”  
“Go ahead and shoot me, Liam. But I’m warning you. If you shoot me and I don’t die, I will hunt you down.”  
“Brave words, Miss Mars.”

I hear Juice yell before I feel the pain, and his arms are around me before I drop to the ground.  
“Juice…You need to put pressure on the wound and call an ambulance.”  
“Right.”  
“Put me on the ground. I’m losing a lot of blood. There should be a shirt in my bag that you can use to pack the wound.”  
He lies me down and digs through my bag before finding a tank top.  
“Lift up my shirt and pack the tank top into the wound as best as you can…Juice, I’m going to scream, but it has to be packed in and you have to put lots of pressure on it. It’s going to hurt me, but we need to slow down the bleeding.”

He does as he’s told, and when I start crying and screaming in pain he says:  
“Oh, my baby. I’m so sorry.”  
He keeps doing what he’s doing though. I gasp and mumble:  
“Call for an ambulance.”  
He grabs my phone and calls 911 and answers their questions before hanging up. 

When I next wake up I’m in the hospital. When I look around I see Dad, Wallace, and Wallace’s mom Alicia sitting in chairs around my bed, all asleep. I try to shift positions and I gasp when I get searing pain through my abdomen. Wallace stands up and whispers:  
“Careful, Supafly. The bullet did a lot of damage, you had pretty intense surgery not that long ago. Things are still tender.”  
“Tender, Wallace?! Tender?! It feels like someone took a fucking blender to my internal organs.”  
“I know, V. I’m sorry. Juice did good at packing the wound though. You lost way less blood than you technically should have.”  
“Where’s my Mom?”  
“Gone.”  
“Why is your Mom here?”  
“Because she loves you, and she loves him.”  
“Where’s Juice?”  
“Jax called a couple of hours ago. He told Juice they found Liam.”  
“So he’s off being a bad guy.”  
“Doing bad things to a bad guy doesn’t make him a bad guy.”  
“I guess…But what’s that line? An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind?”  
“What’s that other line? Blood must have blood?”  
“So vindictive, Papa Bear. I thought that was my schtick.”

I wince and start to cry and Wallace says:  
“I’m going to go ask the nurse if you can have more pain meds. I’ll be right back.”

When he comes back, he has a nurse with him. She puts a shot of something into my I.V. and leaves the room. I look at Wallace and say:  
“Do you have my phone?”  
“No. I think Juice does.”  
“Gimme yours.”  
He hands me his phone and I dial my number.  
“Wallace? Is she?”  
“I’m awake. Hi.”  
“Oh, Ronnie…”  
“What are you guys doing with Liam?”  
“Taking him apart slowly.”  
“Make sure there’s nothing that points to you. The rest of his family is just as crazy as he is. Is he aware enough to listen to me?”  
“Yeah. Hang on.”  
“Mars…You lived.”  
“Of course I did, Liam. I told you to shoot me in the head if you were going to shoot me. Moron.”  
“I’m surprised that Keith Mars is allowing these criminals to torture me to death.”  
“Well, I assume there was no evidence pointing to you as my shooter. At least this way we don’t have to deal with you anymore. Now, don’t mind me, I’m going to let the PCHers know that you’ll be out of the picture in case they want to wipe out the rest of your white trash sociopathic family.”  
“You wouldn’t.”  
“You keep thinking you know me, Liam. You don’t.”

I hang up and dial Weevil’s number.  
“Fennel?”  
“It’s V.”  
“You’re alive. Jesus Christ, V. Getting shot?”  
“It was Liam. Celeste hired him to kill me.”  
“I’m going to shoot that bitch in the fucking head.”  
“Don’t waste your efforts on her. Liam’s being taken out as we speak. This is a good opportunity for the PCHers to get out from under the thumb of the Fitzpatricks. Wipe them out before they realize they should be watching their backs.”  
“V…This suggestion does not sound like you.”  
“Hey, I’m just trying to be helpful. Do with the suggestion what you will, Weevs.”

I hang up and hand the phone back to Wallace. I feel my eyes start to close, so I say:  
“Papa Bear, make our parents go home and sleep in a bed before they can’t walk tomorrow. You go home too. I’m just going to sleep some more. I’m okay.”  
“You sure, Supafly?”  
“Yeah…I mean, I’m Veronica Mars. I’m a badass action figure. Now complete with scars! Go.”  
“Okay.”


	4. Four

When I wake up next, there’s a woman I don’t know sitting in the chair next to me. She looks nice…She’s pretty, petite, has brown hair. She’s wearing a wedding ring as well.   
“Hi.”  
“Oh, Veronica. You’re awake. I’m Donna.”  
“Why are you here?”  
“You’ll learn…The old ladies support each other. I came by to see how you were, when I saw you were alone I thought I’d sit with you for a bit.”  
“The old ladies?”  
“Girlfriends and wives of SAMCRO members.”  
“Who is your husband?”  
“Opie. You haven’t met him. He’s in prison for another year.”  
“How long has he been in?”  
“Four years.”  
“Oh. I’m sorry.”  
“Darling, you’re lying in a hospital bed after being shot. You have nothing to be sorry for.”  
“It’s just…That’s a long time to be without the man you love.”  
“Yeah…Being an old lady is a tough gig kid. You might want to consider running in the opposite direction before you get too attached to Juice.”  
“Life is tough, Donna. Whether I’m with Juice or not, there are going to be things that suck.”  
“True.”

My Mom walks in then. She rushes over to the side of the bed, tears in her eyes.  
“Oh, my sweet Veronica.”  
“Mom. What are you doing here?”  
“This all your father’s fault. Letting you date that biker.”  
“Are you fucking kidding me?! Are you that fucking delusional? Liam Fitzpatrick shot me because he was hired by Celeste Kane. Do you know why Celeste Kane wants me dead? Because she sent you a threat saying that if you didn’t stop fucking her husband she would have me killed. You kept fucking him! Clearly my well-being doesn’t matter to you. I’m just glad Clarence refused the contract. He would have shot me in the head.”  
“No. This wasn’t Celeste.”  
“Yes. It was! Clarence came to me and warned me. This was your fault! Juice is the only reason I’m still alive, you selfish whore. Just go. Leave. Don’t come back.”

She reaches out and slaps me before I can move my head. Before I can react, another brunette woman comes up behind Mom and pulls her away from me. She slams Mom into a wall and says:  
“Your daughter was just shot because of your obsession with a cock. She’s asked you to leave. So leave. Now. Or I will shoot you, and I guarantee no surgery will save you.”

Donna gasps and says:  
“Gemma!”  
The other woman — Gemma, I guess — rolls her eyes and says:  
“Donna.”  
Mom leaves while Gemma is looking at Donna. Gemma says:  
“Good riddance.”  
She walks over to the bed and says:  
“How are you feeling, baby?”  
“It hurts.”  
“Yeah. Being shot is shit. I’m Gemma. I’m Clay’s old lady. Jax’s Mom.”  
“Your son is an asshole.”  
Donna laughs at that.  
“Yeah, I heard about that. I’m sorry, baby. He’s always had impulse control issues…especially with women that he’s interested in having a relationship with.”  
“It was a goddamn one night stand.”  
“Oh, I know. But clearly you have a magical pussy, because you made my man whore son actually want a relationship.”  
“Yeah, well…I don’t want him.”  
“I know. He’ll back off.”

Donna looks like she doesn’t believe Gemma, so I say:  
“What?”  
“Jax is Opie’s best friend. When he’s not being an asshole, he’s great. But he’s been at my house talking about you for weeks…Ever since that first night. He’s smitten. I haven’t seen him like this since Tara. I’m not sure he will back off.”  
“Ugh.”

Juice walks in, he’s still got blood on his shirt, and he looks…haunted. I hold my hand out to him and he walks over to the side of my bed. I reach for him, wincing when my stitches pull, I put my hands on his cheeks and kiss him. I feel it when he starts crying, and I deepen the kiss, wiping my thumbs across his cheeks to remove his tears. When we pull apart I say:  
“Is that my blood or Liam’s?”  
“Both, I think.”

I look at Donna and Gemma and say:  
“Can we have some time?”  
Donna says:  
“Of course. I’ll come to see you tomorrow.”  
“Thanks, Donna.”  
She leaves and Gemma says:  
“I’ll go too. Get some rest, baby.”  
“Bye, Gemma.”  
Once she leaves, I slowly shift on the bed so I’m lying on my side on the edge of the bed, and I say:  
“Lie down with me.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Yes. I think we both need comfort.”

He lies down next to me, careful not to touch my abdomen, our hands curled together between us.  
“I was supposed to protect you. I told you I would protect you.”  
“Oh Juice. This is not your fault.”  
“Why did you walk away from me? Why didn’t you let me protect you?”  
“He told me he would kill you if I didn’t. I wasn’t about to watch you die.”  
“But…baby, I thought I was watching you die.”  
“You did a good job packing the wound, Juice.”  
“How did you know to do that?”  
“First aid course…mind you, when I took it I thought I’d need it for someone else, not me.”  
“You told him to shoot you in the head.”  
“I knew he wouldn’t. He wanted me to suffer.”  
“My brave, stupid girl. What if he had done it?”  
“Well, then I wouldn’t be in the insane amounts of pain I’m currently in.”  
“Veronica…”  
“Shh. I’m here. I’m fine…Well, relatively speaking.”  
He leans in and kisses me before resting his forehead on mine.  
“Do you want to talk about whatever happened to cause that haunted look in your eyes, babe?”  
“We all took turns torturing Liam, but when it came time to kill him…They made me do it. I had never actually killed anyone before.”  
“Oh, Juice…I’m sorry.”  
“This is not your fault. None of this is your fault.”  
“It’s my fault you were involved.”  
“No. Don’t do that. This was not your fault. You didn’t know that Celeste would send Liam after you, you didn’t make your mother fuck another woman’s husband. It’s not your fault.”

I kiss him then, deepening the kiss as I do. I feel more than hear him murmur against my mouth:  
“I love you.”

I squeeze his hands and keep kissing him until I hear a voice say:  
“Trust Veronica Mars to find the one Latino dude in this cracker-white town.”

I grin against Juice’s mouth and pull away before saying:  
“Weevil. What are you doing here?”  
“Checking on my favourite superhero. I can’t believe you got shot, V.”  
“Yeah…I’d have trouble believing it too if my internal organs didn’t feel like they have been put through a blender.”

Weevil looks at Juice who lifts his hand for Weevil to shake and says:  
“I’m Juice.”  
“Weevil.”  
I laugh and wince from the pain while I say:  
“You guys should form a stupid nickname club.”  
Juice rolls his eyes at me and says:  
“Shush, Supafly.”  
“In my defence, I am super fly, I’m freaking fantastic…And only Wallace calls me that.”  
Another voice from behind Weevil says:  
“It’s an accurate nickname, V. Don’t let these fools say otherwise.”  
I grin and say:  
“Felix!”  
Weevil looks annoyed and says:  
“How come he gets a more enthusiastic greeting than I do?”  
“I like him more.”  
“Well, we both know that’s not true. You like me more than most, baby.”  
“Weevil…shut up.”  
“Yes, Eli dear. Shut up.”

I turn to look at the door and see Mrs. Navarro walk in. She walks over to the edge of my bed and I turn my head to look at her as she puts her hands on my face and presses her lips into my forehead.  
“Abuelita…”  
I start to cry, and she says:  
“Shh. Esta bien cariño. Todo estará bien.” (It’s okay darling. Everything will be fine.)  
“Duele, Abuelita.” (It hurts, Grandma.)  
“¿Dónde están Lilly y Logan? Pensé que estarían aquí.” (Where are Lilly and Logan? I thought they would be here.)  
“Le dije a Logan que no regresara y Lilly me odia.” (I told Logan not to come back and Lilly hates me.)  
“Ella no te odia, te ama.” (She doesn’t hate you, she loves you.)  
“No, ella me odia. Tuve relaciones sexuales con Logan cuando se separaron. El idiota le dijo a Lilly que está enamorado de mí.” (No, she hates me. I had sex with Logan when they were broken up. The idiot told Lilly that he’s in love with me.)  
“Ese chico siempre lideró con su corazón.” (That boy always led with his heart.)  
“Es un idiota, Abuelita.” (He’s an idiot, Grandma.)  
“Quien es este?” (Who is this?)  
“Este es Juice, mi novio.” (This is Juice, my boyfriend.)

She looks at Juice and smiles before saying:  
“You look confused, so I’m guessing you don’t speak Spanish.”  
“I’m a Puerto Rican from the Bronx. I speak more Yiddish than Spanish. And I didn’t know Veronica spoke such fluent Spanish.”  
I laugh and say:  
“I’ve been taking it in school since Kindergarten, and I’ve known Abuelita, Eli, and Felix since I was like…seven.”  
“Abuelita? Doesn’t that mean Grandma?”  
“Yes. It does.”

Mrs. Navarro looks at Juice again and then looks at me and says:  
“Él es muy lindo.” (He is very cute.)  
I grin and say:  
“Si, él es.” (Yeah, he is.)  
“¿Es un buen chico?” (Is he a good guy?)  
“Si, Abuelita.” (Yes, Grandma.)  
“¿Sin tendencias criminales? ¿Sin antecedentes penales?” (No criminal tendencies? No criminal record?)  
“¿Es eso lo que se necesita para ser un buen chico? Porque tengo noticias para ti sobre tu nieto.” (Is that what it takes to be a good guy? Because I have some news for you about your grandson.)  
“Entonces es un criminal.” (Then he is a criminal.)  
“Si, Abuelita.” (Yes, Grandma.)  
“Okay.”  
“Oooh…English.”

Juice says:  
“Done talking about me, huh?”  
“For now.”  
I turn to face Juice and softly kiss him before saying:  
“I was just telling her that you’re a good guy.”  
“Uh-huh. That whole conversation was just that.”  
“Basically.”  
“I have to go to the clubhouse, babe. Are you okay?”  
“As okay as I can be. Go. I’m fine.”  
He kisses me and says:  
“I love you.”  
“Do you though? Or are you just reacting to the fact that I got shot in front of you?”  
“Clearly this is going to be a longer conversation. Let’s save it for when we don’t have an audience.”  
“Okay.”

He gets up off the bed and leaves the room and I shift so I’m not on my side. I scream when it hurts a lot. A nurse comes in and says:  
“It’s time for more morphine, Veronica.”  
“I don’t want it.”  
“Veronica, the pain is only going to get worse.”  
“My mother is an addict. I don’t want it. I will deal with the pain.”  
“Alright. Let me know if you change your mind.”  
She leaves the room and everyone else decides that they are going to go too. They tell me they’ll be back the next day and to get some rest.


	5. Five

Two weeks after I was admitted to the hospital I was allowed to go home, but I wasn’t healed enough to go anywhere or do anything until about six weeks after that. 

I had a doctor’s appointment and he officially cleared me for normal life, including strenuous exercise, like cheerleading. I no longer had a wound, just a nasty scar in the front of my abdomen where the bullet went in, and along my side where they had to cut me open to fix the damage. 

My first stop after the doctor is Teller-Morrow to see Gemma since I promised I would. I’m wearing a crop top and low-rise jeans since that made it easier for the doctor to see the scars without me having to take my clothes off, so there is a lot of skin showing as I get out of the car. As I walk across the lot towards Gemma’s office, I hear a wolf whistle and roll my eyes before turning around. Clay, Bobby, Chibs, and Jax are all sitting on their bikes, about to leave. Clay says:  
“Looking good, baby.”  
I take a bow and say:  
“Thanks. I’ve officially been cleared to be human again.”  
“She’s in the clubhouse, not the office.”  
“Thanks.”

I start walking towards the clubhouse and end up walking close to where they are on their bikes. Jax grabs my wrist and pulls me closer to him before he runs his fingers along my scar. He says:  
“That’s a helluva scar, love. You should get a tattoo to cover it.”  
“Jesus, it would be a huge tattoo. I think my cheerleading coach might have an issue with that.”  
“So quit cheerleading.”  
“Or I could just not cover my whole side with ink. I’m not ashamed of my scar. It shows I survived. Let me go.”

He lets me go but says:  
“It mars your beauty. I just thought you might want to cover it.”  
I stare at him for a second, and then say:  
“You know…You seem like a normal person, but really you are the angel of death. I survived being shot in the stomach with a round that broke apart and fucking tore through my internal organs. I survived massive blood loss and invasive surgery. It’s been eight weeks, and I have been cleared to do everything I normally would. That’s like, ten weeks ahead of schedule. I was having a good day. Why are you the way you are?”

I start walking away and Chibs says:  
“You’re a survivor, darlin’. And just as beautiful as before. Ignore him, he’s a moron.”  
“Thanks, Chibs.”

I walk into the clubhouse and find Gemma, Donna, and Jax’s new girlfriend Wendy sitting at the bar.  
“Hello, ladies.”  
Donna jumps up to hug me before saying:  
“You look fantastic.”  
“Thanks. I just heard that my scar mars my beauty and I should cover it with a tattoo.”  
“God, he’s an asshole.”  
“I love that you knew exactly who said it.”  
“Who else?”  
“Right?”

I let go of Donna and walk over to Gemma before wrapping my arms around her.  
“Hi, baby.”  
“Hey. I officially have permission to be human again.”  
“That’s wonderful. We were just planning family dinner tonight. You’re coming, right?”  
“Why would I? I’m not a club family member or old lady. I just came by today because I told you I would. Now that I have, it’s time for me to leave.”  
“Baby, what happened?”  
“He told me he loved me. I asked if he really did or if it was just a reaction to seeing me get shot. He said it was a long conversation that we should have without an audience, and then he left and never came back. He doesn’t answer my calls or texts, and I haven’t seen him in eight weeks…So…It’s just done, with no explanation.”  
“I’m sorry, baby.”  
“I’m fine. I’m going to go. Wallace and I have plans this afternoon. Enjoy family dinner.”

I walk out of the clubhouse and back across the lot to my car. As I’m unlocking the door, Juice pulls in and parks his bike. I watch him as he purposefully doesn’t look at me as he walks into the clubhouse. I get in the car and drive home.

Later that afternoon, Wallace and I are in workout clothes at Lumpy’s gym because Dad thought that learning to box would be therapeutic for both of us. I’m wearing exercise shorts and a sports bra, so my full scar is on display. Lumpy has given us our lesson, and now we’re sparring in the ring…Well, that’s what we’re supposed to be doing, but Wallace won’t hit me.  
“Wallace, stop being a pussy and hit me.”  
“I don’t want to hurt you.”  
“I’m not made of glass. Geez, little brother. Just hit me.”  
“You just got cleared for normal activity today. I don’t want to derail your progress.”  
“Wallace. Dad wouldn’t have let us come here if that was a possibility.”  
“Right. You’re right.”

Ten minutes later, we’re both sweating and breathing heavily as we spar when the gym door opens. When I look over to see who walked in, Wallace lands a lucky hit on my jaw.  
“Oh, Supafly. I’m sorry.”  
“I’m good, Wallace. Once again, I’m not made of glass. It’s time for us to leave though.”  
“Why?”  
He looks towards the door, sees Jax, Juice, and Tig, and says:  
“Oh. That’s why. Okay.”  
We get ready to leave, and as we’re walking out, Wallace says:  
“Hey, the parentals are gone tonight, right?”  
“Yes, little brother.”  
“Did they take Darrell with them?”  
“Yes, Wallace.”  
“We should have a party to celebrate you getting clearance to be human again. Maybe your girls can work their magic and get you laid so you’ll stop moping around.”  
“Sure, Wallace.”

When we walk out the door, I jump up on Wallace’s back and say:  
“I’m tired. Carry me.”  
He grabs my legs and hoists me up into a proper piggyback position before he says:  
“You are so lucky I love you.”

After a very expensive stop at the liquor store, we head home to prepare for this party Wallace thinks we should have. I message the other cheerleaders to spread the word with people from school, and Wallace calls some Neptune people. Before I have a chance to go upstairs and get ready, Chloe walks into the house with a shopping bag.  
“What is that?”  
“Your outfit for tonight.”  
“I have clothes, Chloe.”  
“Uh-huh. This is what you are wearing tonight. No arguments. Go shower and put this on, then I’ll do your hair and make-up.”  
“Fine.”

After I shower, I pull out the outfit she wants me to wear and immediately have to take off my bra because the scrap of fabric will not hide it at all. I put the dress on and stare at myself in the mirror. Chloe walks in and says:  
“You look so hot.”  
“Chloe! This barely counts as a dress.”

It’s black with silver swirls, it’s tight and backless and ends about three inches under my ass. Chloe makes me sit down and curls my hair, braiding back the front. She puts make-up on me: red lips and smokey eyeshadow. Then she says:  
“I trust you have jewelry and shoes that you can wear.”  
“Yes, bossy.”

I go in my closet and find a pair of strappy silver heels and I put them on before putting in a pair of silver earrings. I turn in a circle and say:  
“Is this acceptable?”  
“Yes. Now sit down and let me get ready. I’m raiding your closet.”

I sit on the bed and watch as she digs through my closet and comes out with a dark blue halter dress that’s as tight and short as the dress I’m wearing, but it has slightly more back to it. She puts it on and then steals a pair of gold heels that are identical to the shoes I’m wearing except in colour. She does her hair and makeup and puts a pair of gold earrings in.  
“You look fucking hot, Chloe.”  
“Thank you, darling.”

She sits next to me and says:  
“Are you okay, Ronnie? I know how crazy about him you were.”  
“I’m fine. It doesn’t matter. Clearly something changed about how he felt about me. I don’t care anymore.”  
“You gonna get laid tonight?”  
“I’m gonna do my best.”

We hear music start to play, so we head downstairs. I find Wallace in the kitchen and he hands me a drink, saying:  
“Drink, Supafly. I know you won’t once the house is full of people.”  
“Thanks, Wallace.”  
I drink it and hand the glass back to Wallace.  
“More.”  
“There’s a four drink limit for you, V.”  
“Well, start pouring, little brother.”

By the time I’m on my third drink, the house is full of people. I’m drinking my fourth drink when Mac, Weevil, Felix, Dick, and Casey walk in. Casey wraps his arms around me from behind and says:  
“How drunk are you right now?”  
“Possibly drunk enough.”  
He puts his mouth against my ear and says:  
“Possibly drunk enough for?”  
I finish my drink and put the glass down before turning around in his arms and saying:  
“Dance with me, Casey.”  
“Yes, ma’am.”  
He takes my hand and leads me into the living room. We dance with Mac and Dick for a while, and then I say:  
“You want to come upstairs with me?”  
“Oh, hell yes.”  
I take his hand and I’m leading him upstairs when the front door opens and Jax and Juice walk in. I watch them both see Casey and me going up the stairs, then I turn around and lead him into my room, closing the door behind us.


	6. Six

Once the door is closed, Casey pulls me towards him and kisses me, pulling the ties for the halter of my dress as he does. As the dress falls down my body, he gasps.  
“What?”  
“Weevil said you had a scar, but holy hell.”  
“I got shot…and then had to have massive surgery.”  
“Sorry, it’s just a lot. The last time I saw your abdomen it was smooth, unmarked skin.”  
“Well, things change. Like how much I want to do this.”

I pull my dress back up and re-tie it before saying:  
“Go back downstairs, Casey. This is not happening.”  
He leaves the room, closing the door behind him. I lock it, and then go wash my face and change into pyjamas before lying on the bed, hugging a teddy bear and crying.

As I’m laying there my door opens and Mac walks in. I say:  
“I locked that.”  
“Yeah, I picked it.”  
“How very criminal of you.”  
“I learned from the best.”  
She lies down next to me and runs her fingers through my hair before saying:  
“What’s wrong, Ronnie?”  
“Why doesn’t he want me? What’s the matter with me?”  
“Nothing.”  
“I’m difficult.”  
“Challenging.”  
“Did I push him away? I didn’t mean to.”  
“No, baby. You didn’t. I don’t know what happened, but it is not your fault. Hang on one second, okay?”  
“Yeah.”

She gets up and walks into the hallway. I hear her yell:  
“Weevil, Felix? Get your beautiful asses up here.”  
I hear Dick yell back:  
“Hey, babe? Could you not refer to Weevil’s ass as beautiful in front of me?”  
“Sure honey, only behind your back from now on.”  
She walks back in and says:  
“Sit up, mopey. I brought a gift bag from Corny.”  
“You’re my favourite.”  
“I know.”  
“Dick can come in too, you know.”  
Felix walks in as I say that, so he turns around and yells:  
“Casablancas! The eighth dwarf says you can join us. It’s the private, exclusive, get Ronnie stoned so she’s less miserable party.”  
“Excellent!”  
Dick and Weevil walk in and close the door behind them. Weevil climbs onto the bed behind me and pulls me into his lap, wrapping his arm around my waist, running his fingers along my scar. He whispers in my ear:  
“I love this scar. It means you survived. It’s a sign that you are still here. We almost lost you.”

We all sit in a circle on my bed with an ashtray in the middle and pass around a joint.   
“I miss you all. I want to come home. I hate it here.”  
Mac says:  
“You love it here. You just hate seeing him and wanting him and not understanding why he left.”  
“I miss you guys. I miss the ocean.”  
Weevil says:  
“I have my bike, how about I stay for the weekend and we take a drive to San Francisco tomorrow? There’s ocean there.”  
“Yeah. I’d like that.”

Dick says:  
“Oh! I have something for you.”  
He pulls an envelope out of his pocket and hands it to me. I open it and there’s a note from Jake Kane:  
‘Veronica, I’m so sorry that my indiscretions caused you harm. Celeste is insane. Thank you for not incriminating her. She will not attempt to hurt you further. -Jake.’

Wrapped inside another piece of paper is a cheque for $5 million.   
“Oh, look. Blood money.”  
Weevil says:  
“That’s a lot of blood money.”  
“Well, his wife did try to have me killed.”  
“True. What are you going to do with it?”  
“Burn it? I don’t want his money.”  
“V…You could use that to go anywhere for university. Stanford, Columbia…Don’t do something hasty. Especially since you don’t think you have a future here. This money could get you out.”

I start to cry and I say:  
“I don’t want out, Eli. I want him.”  
He tightens his arms around me and says:  
“I know, Veronica. I know.”

Dick says:  
“The pot is not cheering Ronnie up. What can we do?”  
“I think I need to go for a run. I need to move.”  
“It’s dark, Ronnie.”  
“I know the route, Dick. I’m good.”  
“You’re drunk.”  
“Not so much, actually.”

I put the cheque and the note back in the envelope and get up and stand on a chair to reach the vent. I quickly open it and put the envelope inside before closing it again. I step into the bathroom and put on my workout clothes from earlier, walking into the bedroom to throw a sweatshirt over top and to put runners on.

“Are you all staying tonight?”  
Felix says:  
“Yes.”  
“Okay. Mom and Dad aren’t here, so Mac and Dick can have their room. Put Casey in Darrell’s room. Felix, Weevil, you guys can sleep in here. I mean, we’ve been sharing a bed since we were seven.”  
“Sure. Are you sure you’re okay to run in the dark, alone?”  
“Yup. It’s a tiny town. Everyone knows who my Dad is. No-one will hurt me.”  
“Okay.”

I grab my music and headphones before leaving the room and walking downstairs and outside. Once I’m outside, I put my headphones in and turn on music. I run for long enough that by the time I get home, the house is dark. I let myself in and make my way upstairs. Sitting on the floor in front of my bedroom door is Juice.   
“I can’t do this tonight. Go back to pretending I don’t exist.”  
“Those boys are in your bed. Where are you going to sleep?”  
“In my bed. Weevil, Felix, and I have been sharing a bed since we were seven. Move, please. You know the way out.”  
“I love you.”  
“You left me and ignored me for eight weeks while I recovered from major surgery following a gunshot wound to the stomach. You didn’t even hear about all the damage the bullet caused. The organs they had to remove in order to keep me alive.”  
“What did they have to remove?”  
“Well, let’s just say it’s a good thing I never wanted kids. Also, I lost half my liver, one of my kidneys, part of my large intestine…”  
“I didn’t know.”  
“Of course not. How could you? You LEFT ME!”  
“I’m sorry, baby. I was scared.”  
“Really? I have no idea how that feels. I needed you. You were the only person I wanted there with me, and you were just gone…Leaving me wondering what the hell I’d done wrong.”  
“Nothing. You did nothing wrong. I’m sorry, Veronica.”  
“Yeah. You said that already. Can just go for now, please?”

He stands up and steps towards me. When he’s right in front of me, he wraps one of his arms around my waist and puts his other hand on my neck, rubbing his thumb over my cheek. I start to cry and he presses his forehead against mine as he says:  
“Don’t cry, baby.”  
“I love you, Juice. I need you with me. I want you with me. I’m pretty sure I fell in love with you as soon as I saw your eyes. And then talking to you was just…easy and fun. Like we just…fit.”  
“I know. I feel the same way about you.”  
“Then why did you leave?”  
“I was under orders.”  
“From who?”  
“You know who.”  
“Why? Why would he do that?”  
“I don’t know. I never figured it out. Because it’s not like he tried to step in, he just let you feel abandoned.”  
“Was the goal just to hurt me?”  
“Maybe? I don’t know.”  
“So why are you here now?”  
“When you walked up the stairs with that guy…There was no emotion on your face and your eyes…”  
“What?”  
“They were dead. Like you were going to let him use your body as revenge or something. Jax noticed too. He got upset…Like, really upset. He asked why you would do that, and I said because of what we did to you. That’s when he rescinded the order. I think seeing you like that broke his heart. He left, but he had tears in his eyes. He may be an asshole, but I do think he cares about you in his own way.”  
“I didn’t…with Casey. I didn’t. Nothing happened.”  
“I know.”  
“Can I use your phone for a second?”

He hands it to me and I dial Jax’s number.  
“Juice. What’s wrong?”  
“Why, Jax?”  
“It hurt that you loved him. That you needed him.”  
“I was recovering from being shot, Jax. Taking him away was cruel. Why?”  
“Because I’m in love with you and you love him!”  
“Jax…Literally every interaction we’ve ever had have been you being an asshole or us fucking. You aren’t in love with me. You find me irritating and attractive. You got pissed because you went into our night together wanting a one-night stand and I wanted more, but by the end of the night I wanted a one-night stand and you wanted more. You just got fixated on it. You aren’t in love with me.”  
“Yes, I am. You are the first person I want to see and talk to in the morning and the last person I want to see at night. I have dreams about the way your skin smells, both pre- and post-sex because it’s different. I know I fucked up that first night. I should have brought you home to Charming. I should have danced with you at the club instead of just grabbing you away from that guy. I should have talked to you like a person and not just somewhere to put my dick. And then I fucked up even more at the clubhouse. I just keep fucking up because all I want is to be near you.”  
“Jax. I love him.”  
“I know.”  
“You have a girlfriend.”  
“Fiancée. I proposed tonight.”  
“Do you love her?”  
“No. But maybe eventually.”  
“You know she’s using again, right? She had the shakes when I saw her today.”  
“No. I didn’t notice that.”  
“Well, talk to her. Because if you just ignore it, it’s going to get worse.”  
“Veronica…”  
“No. Goodbye Jackson.”  
I hang up and hand the phone back to Juice.  
“You need to go.”  
“No. Baby, let me stay.”  
“No. Not tonight. Please. Just go.”  
“Can I at least kiss you goodnight?”  
“No. I understand you were following orders, but you still left me, Juice. I can’t just…be okay with that.”

He turns and walks away. I wait until I hear the front door open and close, then I go downstairs and lock the door before curling up on the couch.


	7. Seven

The next morning when I wake up, someone has covered me with a blanket. I hear voices in the kitchen, so I wander in there and find Donna cooking breakfast and chatting with Mac and Dick. I walk up behind her and hug her before saying:  
“What are you doing here?”  
“I know your parents are out of town, and I thought all you hungover teenagers could use some real food for breakfast.”  
“You’re the best.”  
“The fact that you aren’t an old lady doesn’t change how we feel about you. You could have come to family dinner last night.”  
“No. I couldn’t. It hurts to be near him. He showed up last night, explained why he was gone…but it hurts, Donna. I kicked him out. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”  
“Jax ordered him to stay away, didn’t he?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Fucking morons.”

She just looks at me for a minute, then she says:  
“I have some advice if you want to listen.”  
“Yeah.”  
“Ignore them all. Go to school, be a teenager. Spend some of that blood money you got and go to New York for Christmas…I hear it’s beautiful. Get out of this town, and away from those bikers. Stop renting them space in your head, baby. Just move on.”  
“But…”  
“You love him. I know. Let it and him go. If it’s meant to be, you’ll reconnect…But you almost died, baby. You need to live your life right now.”  
“Maybe you’re right…But maybe I need to go away for longer than just Christmas.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“I have a grandmother who lives in Belfast. She’s constantly after me to come visit…Maybe I need to go stay with her for a while.”  
“That’s a brilliant idea. Talk to your Dad.”  
“Maybe…yeah.”  
“Sit. Have some breakfast.”

Two hours later Mac, Dick, Casey, and Felix have left and I’m climbing onto Weevil’s motorcycle behind him when Jax pulls up.  
“Where are you going?”  
“San Francisco. I need an ocean fix.”  
“Call Juice then. Don’t go with him.”  
“Being near Juice hurts. Go away, Jax.”  
“He didn’t want to leave you.”  
“I know. Goodbye Jackson.”

A week later I’m at Teller-Morrow to say goodbye to Gemma. As I’m walking out of the office with a promise to come home soon, Clay wraps me in a hug and says:  
“We have a charter in Belfast. If you need something or something happens, you go to them. You understand me?”  
“Yes, sir.”  
“Don’t stay gone forever, baby.”  
I nod and he lets me go. 

As I’m walking across the lot to my car, Donna runs up and hugs me. We both end up crying as she says:  
“Promise me you’ll write and call.”  
“I promise.”  
“Good. Now go and live your life.”  
I get into the car and leave for Belfast the next day.

Three days after I move in with my grandmother, she sends me to the store.   
“Veronica, darling?”  
“Yes, Grammy?”  
“I need you to go to the store, but not the one on the corner. I need you to go to Ashby Provisions. It’s a couple of blocks over. Tell them you are there for me and they will give you my order.”  
“Yes, Grammy.”  
I put on my shoes and coat and walk the couple of blocks to the store. When I walk in, there’s a bored-looking girl about my age behind the counter. She has strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes…She’s pretty, like, exceptionally so.  
“Hi. I’m here for…”  
She interrupts me and says:  
“You’re Ms. Dobbin’s granddaughter, aren’t you? The one from California?”  
“That’s me…Veronica.”  
“I’ll get her order. I’m Trinity, by the way. We are going to be going to the same school if you ever decide to show up.”  
“I’ve just been getting settled.”  
“How long does it take?”  
“A while…It’s a bit of a culture shock.”  
“Yeah. I suppose it is. How about this? I will help you bring your gramma her order, and then you can come back here and we’ll have a sleepover. I’ll fill you in on all the things you need to know about school.”  
“I’d like that.”  
“Excellent. I need a new girlfriend. All the girls at school are whores.”  
I laugh and say:  
“Good to know.”

She turns and shouts up the stairs behind her:  
“Ma! I’m helping Ms. Dobbin’s granddaughter take over her order! We’ll both be back in a bit. She’s gonna spend the night.”  
A pretty blonde woman walks down the stairs and says:  
“Alright, Trin. The whole of Belfast doesn’t need to hear about it.”  
I laugh and she looks at me before she says:  
“Maureen Ashby.”  
“Veronica Mars. Nice to meet you.”  
“You’re from California? What town?”  
“Yes. I grew up in a town named Neptune, but my Dad lives in Charming now.”  
“Why did you leave?”  
I lift up my shirt and show her my scar.  
“I got shot. I almost died. I got involved with a member of a motorcycle club there, and it wasn’t his fault I got shot, but things got…messy. One of the old ladies suggested I leave and try to live my life.”  
“SAMCRO.”  
“Yes.”  
“Who did you get involved with?”  
“My boyfriend’s name was Juice, but another guy decided he was in love with me and tried to keep us apart.”  
“Who was it?”  
“Jackson Teller…The VP. Since you’re asking, you must have a connection to the Belfast chapter.”  
“Yes. Will he come after you?”  
“I don’t expect him to.”  
“Good. I don’t want anyone from SAMCRO here if we can avoid it.”  
“I’m in agreement with you there.”  
“Good.”

Trinity and I become fast friends, and tend to do most things together: school, dance, runs, getting tattoos, and we share a bed most nights — usually at Grammy’s house since Trinity’s step-father is SAMBEL and grouchy.  
I exchange calls and letters with Donna and Gemma frequently, so I know that Juice isn’t seeing anyone, Opie got out of prison, Jax married Wendy and then divorced her, Wendy got pregnant with Jax’s child, and on the last call I had with Donna she told me Jax’s son Abel was born with serious medical issues. 

Not long after that last call with Donna, I got a call from Gemma telling me Donna had been killed and saying that I should come home for the funeral. I had been in Belfast for almost two years.

I flew home the next day, telling Trinity and Grammy I’d be back in a few days.

When I get to the cemetery, I walk up behind Opie and the kids, wrapping my arm around Ellie’s shoulders and sliding my hand into Opie’s.  
“Ronnie…You made it back.”  
“Of course I did. It’s Donna. I love Donna.”  
Ellie looks at me and says:  
“Aunty Ronnie, are you staying?”  
“Only for a couple of days, sweetie. I don’t belong here.”

After the funeral, I go back to Dad’s house and convince Wallace to go to the gym with me.  
“I need to hit something, Wallace.”  
“You mean you need to hit me.”  
“You’re something, aren’t you?”  
“You’re lucky I love you and miss you, Supafly.”

I change into shorts and sports bra before throwing a sweater over top. When we get to the gym there are people in the ring already, so I take off my sweater and we warm up with the punching bag. While I’m holding the bag for Wallace, I hear:  
“Holy hell, that’s a lot of ink.”  
“Hi, Jax.”  
“Your tattoo has crows on it.”  
“They’re Odin’s ravens. Not crows.”  
“Look like crows to me.”  
“Well, that’s nice. They aren’t.”  
“Thought you didn’t want to cover your scar.”  
“I changed my mind. Got sick of explaining it every goddamn time I took my shirt off.”  
“How frequently do you take your shirt off with new people?”  
“My social life is robust, Jax. My best friend is a bad influence.”  
“Come home.”  
“I don’t belong here.”  
“Yes, you do.”  
“Goodbye Jackson.”

He puts his hand on my neck and runs his thumb over a “J” I have tattooed behind my ear.   
“Is this for him, or me?”  
My breath catches when I realize how close he is…how easy it would be to turn my head and kiss him…  
“Him. Aren’t you dating that doctor? How is Abel, by the way?”  
“He’s better. And yeah, I am. Does he know you have a tattoo for him?”  
“I haven’t seen him.”  
“Do you want to?”  
“No.”  
“Come to family dinner tonight.”  
“No thanks. I’ve had my fill of SAMCRO. I need to go home.”  
“You are home.”  
“This isn’t home. Not really. Donna was right. I don’t belong here.”  
“Donna? It was Donna’s idea for you to leave?”  
“Yeah. She wanted to make sure that I lived my life. That I didn’t just stay in Charming because I loved him.”  
“She hated being an old lady.”  
“She hated what the club did to Ope. That’s all.”  
“When are you going to come home? How long until you’ve punished us enough?”  
“This isn’t about punishing you. This is about me having a life, Jax. And I’m not coming home. I’m staying in Belfast. I was accepted to the university there. It’s a really great school.”  
“Veronica…”  
“No, Jax.”

I look at Wallace and say:  
“Let’s go home and visit with the parents before I fly out tomorrow.”  
“Sounds good to me, Supafly.”  
As he walks away, I turn to face Jax. I put my hand on his face and gently kiss him before saying:  
“Goodbye Jackson.”

I walk away and Wallace and I go home.


	8. Eight

Eight months later Trinity and I are lying in her bed when we hear a baby cry. We hear a man’s voice as well as her Mom’s, so we wait until the man leaves. I take one look at the baby in Maureen’s arms and say:  
“Abel. Why is Abel here?”  
“My fool cousin kidnapped him. My brother wants to place him in a good family. I think the boy needs his Da. I need you to take him home. You need to go now.”

I take Abel out of her arms and Trinity packs a bag and follows me out of the apartment. As we are leaving, Maureen hands me a stack of letters, saying:  
“Give these to Jackson. He should know who his father really was.”

We go to Grammy’s where I pack a bag and pull my phone out. I dial Jax’s number and wait for him to answer.  
“Veronica?”  
“Abel’s in Belfast.”  
“How?”  
“I don’t know. I didn’t question the kidnapper. I have Abel now though. I’m bringing him home.”  
“You have him? He’s safe?”  
“He’s in my arms right now. I won’t let anything happen to him. I need to go now. I have to find us a way home without a passport for him.”  
“Veronica…”  
“I know, Jax. We’ll be home soon.”

I hang up and dial Jake Kane’s number.  
“Hello?”  
“Jake? It’s Veronica. I need your help.”  
“What can I do?”  
“I need the Kane Software private jet. I need to be picked up in Belfast and taken back to California. I know it’s a big ask, but I have a kidnapped child with me and I can’t travel commercial with him…he has no papers.”  
“Kidnapped?”  
“He was taken from his father in Charming and brought to Belfast on fake papers. I don’t have time to get new fake papers worked up for him, and I don’t have access to the ones the kidnapper used.”  
“The plane is currently in London with Clarence. I will get him to Belfast as soon as possible. I’ll text you with the airfield information.”  
“Thank you.”

Trinity and I pack as much as we can, then I write a note to Grammy:  
‘I had to go back to Charming. It was an emergency. I don’t think I’m coming back. I love you. I will figure out how to get the rest of my things. -Veronica’

As we’re about to leave the house, I get a text from Jake:  
‘They’ve landed. Clarence is coming to get you. Stay at your Grammy’s.’  
‘Okay.’

A few minutes later there’s a knock on the door and I hear Clarence’s voice say:  
“Veronica. Open the door.”  
I open the door and we load all of our stuff and Abel into the car Clarence has outside. I look at Trinity and say:  
“You should stay here.”  
“No way. I’m coming with you.”  
“Trin…”  
“Nope. I’m coming. I want to meet my brother.”  
“Jax?”  
“Yup. Ma thinks I don’t know.”  
“Okay. Let’s go then.”

I feel on edge until we’re high above the Atlantic Ocean, and then I can finally relax. I hold Abel the whole time we’re in the air, despite Trinity’s insistence that she can take a turn so I can sleep.  
“I’ll sleep when he’s home with his father.”  
“You love him…Jackson, I mean.”  
“I’m fond of the asshole. I don’t love him.”  
“Whatever you say, baby.”

We’re about to land in San Diego when Clarence says:  
“There will be a car waiting for us. I made sure they have a car seat for him. You are going to sleep between here and Charming.”  
“I’m fine, Clarence.”  
“No. You aren’t. You need to sleep.”  
“Fine. Once we’re on the road I’ll sleep.”  
In the car, I sit next to Abel and rest my hand on his chest while he and I both sleep. I wake up just before we get to Charming. When we pull into the lot at Teller-Morrow, I take Abel out of his car seat and carry him into the clubhouse.

Juice sees me first, and he walks over to me, putting his hand on my cheek before saying:  
“Are you leaving again?”  
“No. I’m home.”  
“For him?”  
“Well, bringing his kid home was for him, but other than that? No. I love you.”  
“Would you be home if it wasn’t for Abel?”  
“Yeah. I mean, probably not right at this moment, but soon. I missed you. Can you kiss me now, please?”  
He grins and leans in to kiss me before saying:  
“I love you.”  
Trinity clears her throat behind me, and I laugh, saying:  
“Juice, Trinity. Trinity, Juice.”  
Trinity says:  
“Ah…So you’re the reason I couldn’t convince my girl here to try out the local Belfast flavour…I understand now.”  
Juice looks at me and says:  
“But Jax said…”  
“Jax made an assumption. I let him believe it. Speaking of which, I should return his kid to him.”  
“He’s in the chapel.”  
I quickly kiss him again and then I walk away, towards the very impressive double doors. I knock and then walk in.  
“Sorry to interrupt…But I thought you’d want him back as soon as possible.”

Jax jumps up and takes Abel out of my arms before kissing me and saying:  
“Thank you.”  
“Yeah. No problem. I owe Jake Kane big now, but at least Abel’s home.”  
“Did you know that you’re wearing pyjamas?”  
“We were in bed when Abel was brought to the apartment. We had to leave right away, and I didn’t want to put him down on the plane.”  
“We?”  
“My friend, Trinity, and me.”  
Trinity walks in behind me and says:  
“And by her friend, she means your sister.”  
“That was a nice way of breaking the news, Trin. Geez.”  
“Well, how do you ease into that?”  
“I don’t know, but there had to be a better way.”  
She shrugs.  
“His Dad fucked my Mom when my Mom was eighteen. She got pregnant with me. His Dad knew and still came back to Charming. He died not long after that. It is what it is.”  
“I think that’s an even worse way of explaining things. I thought Americans were supposed to be the brash, unpleasant ones.”

Jax says:  
“Wait…Seriously? You just happened to become best friends with my half-sister?”  
“Yeah. I didn’t find out about the connection until we were leaving Belfast. If I had known, I probably would have fled. You’re both pains in my ass.”

Trinity wraps her arms around my waist and says:  
“Can we save the rest of the reunions and conversations until after we get some sleep? Please? Clarence is still outside waiting for us.”  
“Yeah.”  
Jax says:  
“Trinity, you can stay at my house if you want.”  
“No, thanks. Ronnie and I have slept in the same bed more frequently than we haven’t for the past two and a half years. I think I’ll just stick with the status quo.”  
“Why?”  
Trinity looks confused, so I say:  
“He wants to know why we share a bed…Trinity’s step-dad is the president of SAMBEL. He’s an asshole. Lots of yelling, lots of hitting Maureen, lots of hitting teenage girls who happen to annoy him…Grammy’s house is just more peaceful, so Trinity sleeps there with me most nights. It’s just dumb luck that we were sleeping at Maureen’s when Cammy brought Abel to her.”  
“He hit you?!”  
“Once…then Maureen remembered a conversation we had when I first moved there and she…filled him in on who I am. He never hit me again, but Trinity…”  
“She told him that I’m in love with you.”  
“Yeah.”

Trinity pulls me out of the room and whispers in my ear:  
“I was right. You love them both.”  
“I know…Shut up.”  
“That’s why you just got “J” instead of Juice’s whole name…I understand now.”  
“Trinity! Drop it! Jesus Christ.”


	9. Nine

Clarence takes us to Dad’s house and we carry our bags inside before collapsing into bed. 

When I wake up, Trinity is gone and the clock says it’s 3:00 pm. I have no idea how long I’ve slept, but I can hear voices from downstairs: Trinity, Wallace, Dad, Alicia, Darrell, and Juice. I shower and get dressed, putting my hair up in a ponytail to show off two of my three tattoos. Once I feel human again, I head downstairs. 

I walk into the living room and realize that Jax, Tara, and Abel are here too. Tara stands up and walks over to me, wrapping me in a hug before saying:  
“Thank you.”  
“You’re welcome.”

I step out of her arms and curl up on Juice’s lap.   
“Does anyone know how long I was asleep? I feel like it was either entirely too long or not long enough.”  
Dad laughs and says:  
“A long time. Like, eighteen hours.”  
“Too long. Why didn’t you wake me up?”  
“Uh. We tried.”  
“Not hard enough.”  
“Number one daughter…Trinity tried, I tried, Alicia tried, Wallace tried, Darrell jumped on you, I even sent Juice up to try.”

Juice whispers:  
“I tried to kiss you awake and you bit me. Nice crow tattoo on your side by the way.”  
“Ugh. They aren’t crows. They are Odin’s ravens. It’s the freaking tree of knowledge with Odin’s ravens. Not crows. Crows and Ravens are not the same things.”  
“They look like crows.”  
“I’m having fucking déjà vu.”  
“We’ve never had this conversation before.”  
“No, we haven’t, but Jax and I did when I was back for Donna’s funeral.”  
“How did he see your tattoo when you were here for the funeral?”  
“Wallace and I were at the boxing gym.”  
“Ah…I thought maybe…”  
“No, love.”

I curl into him more, pressing my face against his neck. He tightens his arms around me and says:  
“Do you have any other tattoos?”  
“A ‘J’ behind my ear and a Celtic love knot on the back of my neck.”  
“A ‘J’? Really?”  
“Yes. Really.”  
“I love you.”  
“Yeah…I love you too, clearly.”

I look around and say:  
“So why is everyone sitting in the living room anyway? Wallace…shouldn’t you be at school? Hearst started last week, right?”  
“Yeah, Supafly. It did. But when my long-lost sister decides to finally come home from freaking Northern Ireland, I’m gonna be here.”  
“I love you, Papa Bear, but go back to school.”  
“Come with me, Supafly. You’re not going back to Belfast, so Queen’s University is out. Come to Hearst with Mac, Dick, Logan, and I.”  
“No. I don’t know what my plan is, but it’s not that.”

Alicia pulls an envelope out from behind her.  
“Maybe it can be this.”  
I take it from her and open it. I read the letter and say:  
“How? I didn’t apply.”  
“I did on your behalf. The fact that you had an acceptance from Queen’s University actually worked in your favour.”  
“Alicia…”  
“I just want you to go to school. I will accept it if you don’t, but I wanted to make sure you had options.”

Jax says:  
“Where is the letter from?”  
“Stanford. Late acceptance.”

I get up off of Juice’s lap and sit next to Alicia, wrapping my arms around her.  
“We can’t afford Stanford.”  
“Yes, you can. You have that money just sitting in a bank account.”  
“I’m not spending the blood money from Jake.”  
“Sweetheart. I agree with you that it’s blood money, but thanks to his wife’s attempt to have you killed, you will never be able to have kids. You will live with pain for the rest of your life. If you get sick you could die because you only have one kidney…He paid you that money to try to make up for the life that you will never get to have. Use it to give yourself a better life.”  
“$5 million? That’s what my ability to have kids is worth? That’s what eight weeks of excruciating pain with no pain relief is worth? I don’t want his goddamn money. That’s why I didn’t take the cheque to the bank. Freaking Mac did. She used a fake ID with my name on it and deposited it into an account I didn’t know I had.”

Wallace snorts and says:  
“How very criminal of her.”  
“Right? She’s a fucking fast learner. The ID she made was perfect.”  
“Well, she learned from the best, Supafly.”

Tara says:  
“Why no pain relief?”  
“My Mom is a fucking addict. I started turning down the morphine on the second day. Wouldn’t let them give me anything stronger than Tylenol.”  
“Jesus Christ. With the damage you sustained? How were you even conscious?”

Dad says:  
“She’s a badass.”  
I shake my head:  
“I just focused on my heartbreak instead of my physical pain. It helped…So thanks, Jax…I guess.”  
Tara says:  
“What did he do?”  
“Ordered Juice to stay away from me.”  
Tara looks at Jax and says:  
“What is with your family trying to derail people’s recovery? You took away someone Veronica loved while she was recovering from being shot, and your Mom gave Wendy the drugs she used to OD in the hospital after having Abel.”

I look at Tara and say:  
“Gemma did what?!”  
“Wendy’s okay. She’s in treatment in another town.”  
“Good…God, this fucking town. I need a minute.”

I get up and leave the room, walking through the kitchen into the backyard. I walk over to a big tree in the corner of the yard and sit on the ground under it where I can’t be seen from the house. I lean my head back against the tree and close my eyes, thinking about what I want to do about Stanford…About life. 

After I’ve been sitting there for a couple of minutes, I feel someone kneel in front of me and put their hands on my face. I can tell by the number of rings that it’s Jax. He says:  
“I’m so sorry, Veronica.”  
“You say that a lot, you know. Maybe you should just stop being an asshole.”  
He doesn’t say anything, but then his lips are on mine. I kiss him back, whimpering against his mouth when he moves closer to me and deepens the kiss. I pull away and say:  
“I love him, Jax.”  
“You love me too. That’s why you just got a ‘J’ instead of his whole name.”  
“Jax…”  
“I know. I’m sorry.”  
“Go inside. Please. Leave this alone. Leave me alone. I’m with Juice. You’re with Tara. Go be with Tara.”  
“You came home for me.”  
“I came home to bring Abel back. I can’t go back because I pissed off the IRA by doing so. I gave up my life to save your son. Don’t make my existence here more difficult…Please.”  
“We’re all going to prison. Our bail is going to be revoked…”  
“Everyone?”  
“Not the whole club, but a lot of us…Including him.”  
“Is there nothing that you can do?”  
“There’s something in the works to get us less time, but it’s going to be messy.”  
“How much time is less?”  
“Fourteen months.”  
“When?”  
“Soon. Take advantage of the time you have, love.”  
“I need you to go, Jax.”  
“Yeah. Okay.”  
He stands up and I say:  
“Goodbye Jackson.”

He walks away and I lean back up against the tree again, closing my eyes until I can’t stand to be alone any longer, then I go back into the house. When I walk into the living room, everyone looks upset.  
“What did I miss?”  
Trinity says:  
“Ma just called.”  
“Okay…What, Trin?”  
“Uncle Kellan figured out that it was you who took Abel.”  
“And what did the good Father do?”  
“Burned down Grammy’s house…I’m sorry, Ronnie. Ma said that Grammy didn’t make it out. They think she died in her sleep.”  
“I knew it would piss them off. I didn’t think they’d go after her.”  
“He sent Jimmy to find you.”  
“Let him come. We can just add him to the list of people who have tried to kill me.”

I walk upstairs and lock myself in my bedroom before I sink down to the floor sobbing. When it feels like I don’t have any more tears, I stand up and change into exercise clothes. I grab my music and headphones and walk downstairs. Juice looks at me and says:  
“You know someone is coming to kill you. You can’t go for a run.”  
“I can do whatever the hell I want, Juice.”

Dad says:  
“Son. Let her go.”  
“But…”  
“I know. But she feels like her grandmother’s death is her fault.”  
“It is my fault. I could have told Maureen no. I could have let Kellan take Abel to the orphanage to adopt out. I didn’t have to get involved. I could have kept my life…The life that I fought to build on my own. I could have kept my grandmother alive. I didn’t. I brought Abel home because I love his father. I put my grandmother in harm’s way. If Jimmy wants to kill me, let him. I really don’t care anymore.”

I walk out of the house, putting my headphones in and starting my music before running off the porch. I run without realizing where I’m going, but I end up at the cemetery, standing in front of Donna’s grave. I sit down and lean against her headstone.  
“I’m sorry, Donna. I know this isn’t the life you wanted for me. You didn’t want me to come back.”

I hear a deep voice from behind me say:  
“She loved you.”  
“She wanted a bigger life for me than being an old lady.”  
“You can still have that, kiddo.”  
“Can I, Ope? Really? The IRA is after me now.”  
“Not for long. Jimmy coming to town is actually a key element in getting the guys less time inside.”  
“I’m glad I can be of use.”  
“Alicia got you accepted to Stanford, didn’t she?”  
“I’m not spending the blood money.”  
“Then what are you going to do?”  
“Get my private investigator’s licence…Shoot myself in the head and end my suffering?”  
“Don’t even talk like that. Donna would literally kick your ass.”  
“Maybe I’ll see if Lyla’s producer is looking for new talent.”  
“Hell no.”  
“I have to do something.”  
“Not that.”  
“Your girlfriend does that.”  
“And I hate every second of it. I can’t handle you doing it too.”

His phone rings and he answers it.  
“Hey, Jax.”  
…  
“She’s sitting in front of me. She’s at Donna’s grave.”  
…  
“I’m sure she’ll come home when she’s ready. Might be easier for her if you aren’t there though.”  
…  
“Shit. I’ll let her know.”  
…  
“Yeah, okay.”  
He hangs up and I say:  
“What now?”  
“Your little speech upset Juice. That’s all.”  
“Of course it did. I admitted that I love Jax.”  
“Yeah. Not exactly a newsflash for anyone paying attention.”  
“He knew, but I think hearing me admit it out loud is what bothered him. As long as I didn’t say it he could ignore it.”  
“So what are you going to do?”  
“Go to him. Did Jax say where he went?”  
“Home. I can take you.”  
“It’s only a few blocks. I’ll just run. Thanks, Opie.”


	10. Ten

When I get to Juice’s house I take out my headphones and knock on the front door. When he opens it, he’s shirtless and I lick my lips before I say:  
“I love you more. You are who I want. You are who I chose. Who I keep choosing. I only want you. I only want to be with you.”  
“But you love him.”  
“Yeah. But I don’t want to be with him. Just you.”  
“I’m going to prison.”  
“I know. I guess we’d better not waste the little time we have left beforehand, huh?”  
“Will you still be mine when I get out?”  
“We’ve been apart for three years, after dating for like, a week. I’m still yours. I never stopped being yours. Now…I’d really like to come inside because I really want you to fuck me.”

He reaches out and grabs my waist, pulling me into the house before he closes the door behind me.   
“Did you really not…with anyone while you were gone?”  
“Juice…the only person that has touched me since you last did is me.”  
“What did you think about when you touched yourself, baby?”  
“You. Always you.”

Two weeks later, Trinity has flown back to Belfast, and everyone’s at the clubhouse when ATF Agent Stahl pulls in. She tells everyone that Jax is a rat and then hands a signed deal agreement to the lawyer. As ATF agents are going into the clubhouse to take Jimmy as per the agreement, Tara rubs my back and whispers:  
“Go say goodbye to him now before everyone’s watching.”

I walk over to Jax and intertwine our fingers, squeezing slightly.   
“Stay alive…that would be enough.”  
“I love you, Veronica.”  
“I love you too. Goodbye Jackson.”  
I let go of his hand and walk back over to Tara in time to watch Stahl put Jax in cuffs as the guys scream at him for being a rat. Clay yells:  
“You’re dead!”  
I look at Tara and she shakes her head slightly before saying:  
“It’s okay baby.”  
As Tara runs up to hug Jax, I go to Juice. I hug him and give him a kiss before saying:  
“You stay alive in there. You understand me? Come home to me.”  
“Yes ma’am. I love you.”  
“I love you.”

Tara and I both go to stand with Gemma, wrapping our arms around her waist, watching tearfully while they all get loaded into the van. Once they’ve pulled out of the lot, the remaining Sons all leave.   
“Tara…what?”  
“He’s not a rat. The club knew all along. They have a plan. They do have to serve the 14 months, but they’re going to take care of Jimmy and Stahl…And they have an agreement with the IRA. The club removes Jimmy and the IRA stops coming after you for taking Abel.”

Gemma says:  
“Come to the house girls.”  
Tara says:  
“Yeah, okay.”  
I say:  
“I think I’m going to stay here and wait for the guys.”  
“Okay, baby.”

I go into the clubhouse and clean while waiting for the remaining club members to come back. When they get back, Chibs kisses my cheek and says:  
“Jimmy is dead, love. You’re safe.”  
“Thank you, Chibs.”  
When Opie walks in, he has blood on his face.  
“Yours, or someone else’s?”  
“Stahl’s.”  
“Come on Sasquatch. Let’s get you cleaned up before you go home.”  
I lead him into the apartment and make him sit at the end of the bed before walking into the bathroom and getting a wet cloth. I stand in front of him, between his legs, and clean the blood off of his face and neck. When I’m finished, I go to step away but he wraps an arm around my waist.  
“It was her fault Donna died.”  
“No-one ever told me how Donna died. How was it Stahl’s fault?”  
“She convinced Clay that I was a rat. He sent Tig to kill me. Donna was driving my truck, it was dark. Tig killed her by accident.”  
“Oh my god. How are you okay with Clay?”  
“I’m not. But he’s the boss.”  
“And you and Tig?”  
“Tig was just following orders and he made a mistake. Killing Donna broke him.”

I move to step away again and he pulls me tighter against himself.  
“No, Opie.”  
“Just this once. Please.”  
“No. Go home to Lyla.”  
“I just need to feel close to Donna, and you are the closest connection I have.”  
“Opie…No. Go home, hug those beautiful kids you and Donna made, and then fuck Lyla.”  
“Veronica.”  
“No, Ope. Even if I wanted to, which I don’t, Donna would so not approve of this. She would be pissed at you for dragging me into your grief.”  
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”  
He lets go of me and I lean in and softly kiss him before saying:  
“Go home.”

We walk out of the apartment and Opie leaves the clubhouse. I go behind the bar and grab two glasses and a bottle of whiskey and go sit next to Unser on the couch. I pour us each a glass and say:  
“What happened Wayne?”  
“I set Stahl up for them to kill her and Jimmy.”  
“Okay…Well, Jimmy was awful and was here to kill me…And from what I understand, Stahl caused Donna’s death and framed Gemma for two murders, causing Abel to be kidnapped.”  
“Yeah…But I’m a cop sweetheart. I’m supposed to be better than this.”  
“Were you a cop when you did it, or did you turn in your badge?”  
“I turned in my badge, which is why your Dad has called me ten times in the past thirty minutes.”  
“He does that. Give me your phone.”

As he hands it to me, it starts ringing. I answer it and say:  
“Hi, Daddy.”  
“Why are you with Wayne? Where are you?”  
“We’re at the clubhouse. The guys went to prison today.”  
“Why did Wayne turn in his badge?”  
“Daddy…You don’t want to know.”  
“Did you do something illegal?”  
“I’m currently drinking with Wayne, which is technically illegal for a while yet…But other than that? No.”  
“Did he?”  
“No.”  
“You’re sure?”  
“Yes.”  
“Agent Stahl and Jimmy O’Phelan are dead.”  
“Are they? That’s unfortunate.”  
“Veronica. Who killed them?”  
“Aliens?”  
“It wasn’t Jax or Juice. Just tell me.”  
“Daddy. I don’t know. The IRA wanted Jimmy dead, they’d have no problem taking out an ATF Agent with him.”  
“That’s the story you’re sticking to?”  
“It wasn’t the guys. You’re barking up the wrong tree, Chief.”  
“Okay. Are you coming home at some point?”  
“Later.”  
“Have you decided what you’re going to do with your life?”  
“Yeah. We’ll talk later.”  
“Don’t drink too much, and bring Wayne home with you. I don’t like him being alone.”  
“Yes, sir.”

I hang up and say:  
“We have orders not to drink too much, and I’m to bring you home with me so you aren’t alone…Did she leave?”  
“I’m fucking miserable kid. Of course she left. I’m an asshole and the cancer makes it worse.”  
“Well, you’re coming home with me. The Mars/Fennel clan will take care of you. You can have Wallace’s room.”  
“Darlin’…”  
“Nope. No arguments. Finish your drink and we’ll go.”


	11. Eleven

Two months after the guys go to prison, I’ve passed my private investigator’s licensing exam and I’m working for Clarence. He doesn’t want me in the field, which is fine by me, so I’m working from home, doing all the digital work and putting pieces together for field agents. I’m babysitting Abel, Kenny, and Ellie every day, usually with Gemma hanging out for part of the day, and I’ve been going with Tara to her prenatal appointments.

A few weeks later during our frequent calls, Juice says:  
“Move into my house.”  
“When you’re out?”  
“No. Now. Your house has your parents, little brother, and Unser in it. You’re working from home and babysitting Abel, Ellie, and Kenny all the time. You need the space. Move into my place.”  
“I’m not really a fan of your dorm room style, babe.”  
“So redecorate. I don’t care.”  
“You’re serious?”  
“Yes. Gemma has a key.”  
“Juice…”  
“Baby. I want to know that you are living in my house, waiting for me to come home. Please?”  
“Fine. But I am getting rid of every last piece of garage sale, Ikea furniture. Every last piece.”  
“I expect nothing less.”

Tara, Lyla, Alicia, Gemma, and I spend the next few weeks redecorating the house. I do spend a little bit of the blood money when I realize that the bathrooms and kitchen need to be redone because nothing works properly. Once I’ve spent some of the money, I find it a little easier to spend more, and I repaint the whole house and replace the carpets with hardwood before buying all new furniture. I buy a trampoline for the backyard and video game systems for the living room since I have the kids so frequently. The smaller second bedroom turns into my home office, and I set up a daybed in there for Abel while I’m babysitting him.

All of this redecorating leads Tara to change Jax’s house too. Not a lot, mostly just accessories, but she definitely makes it more palatable to us of the female persuasion.

Four months into their prison sentence I sit down and read the letters Maureen gave me to give to Jax. I very quickly realize that him reading these letters will just cause him pain, so I give them to Gemma. She reads the first one and says:  
“You never showed these to him?”  
“No.”  
“What about Tara?”  
“Nope. I forgot I had them, and when I started reading them, I thought it was best if the past stays in the past. All these letters would do is hurt Jax.”  
“Good girl. I knew there was a reason you are my favourite.”

Six months into their prison sentence, Charming city council unanimously voted to dissolve Charming PD and bring in the sheriff’s department. Jacob Hale assured Dad that it was nothing personal, after all, the decision had been in the works before Unser quit, but Dad still lost his job. He took his private investigator’s licensing exam too, deciding to start his own agency, working on cases mostly based in Oakland. He tried to convince me to come work for him, but Clarence pays me really well, and I enjoy the more global cases he draws in.

Eight months into the prison sentence, Tara has Thomas. Gemma and I are both in the room when he’s born.

A month after Thomas was born, I get a phone call from the prison.  
“You have a call from an inmate at Stockton Penitentiary…Jax Teller…Do you accept the charges?”  
“Yes.”  
“Hi, baby.”  
“Hey. Shouldn’t you be calling Tara to check on your kids?”  
“She hasn’t answered for the past three days.”  
“What do you mean? I saw her earlier.”  
“She hasn’t answered my call in three days, Veronica. What’s wrong?”  
“I didn’t think anything was. I’ll go check on her.”  
“Thank you. How are my boys?”  
“Amazing. Abel is all about colouring right now, and by that I mean he colours on all the things…Including my walls.”  
“Sorry, baby. Thank you…for loving my kids, for loving Tara.”  
“They’re yours, Jax. Not loving them isn’t even an option. I’ll go check on Tara. I’ll come to see you tomorrow to let you know what’s going on. Okay?”  
“Yeah. Thanks, Veronica. I love you.”  
“I love you too. Goodbye Jackson.”  
I hang up and leave the house, walking the few blocks to Jax and Tara’s house. When I get there I knock on the door and walk in.  
“Tara?”  
“In the bedroom, V.”  
I walk into the bedroom and find her lying on the bed so I lay down next to her.  
“What’s going on, babe?”  
“He finally called you, huh?”  
“He’s worried.”  
“It took two days longer than I expected. I thought he’d jump at the chance to call you.”  
“Tara…”  
“No, it’s fine. I’m fine. I’m happy that he’ll have someone here.”  
“What are you talking about?”  
“I got offered a job in Portland. It’s a really great position and it would get my boys away from this place…this club.”  
“Are you going to take it?”  
“I signed the paperwork today.”  
“Are you going to talk to Jax before you go?”  
“I was kind of hoping you would.”  
“Really?”  
“He loves you more than he loves me.”  
“Tara…”  
“No. It’s true. It’s fine. But I think he’ll take the news better from you.”  
“When do you leave?”  
“A week from now.”  
“Alright. I’ll go see him in the morning. You will answer the phone the next time he calls?”  
“Yes.”  
“Good.”  
“Veronica…Can you not tell him where the job is? Just tell him it’s out of state. I don’t want him dragging us back.”  
“Yeah. I can do that.”  
“Thanks.”  
We lie there quietly for a few minutes before I say:  
“I’m going to go home. Let me know if you change your mind and decide to stay with us.”

I’m home for maybe twenty minutes when there’s a knock on the door. I put down my glass of wine and wipe the tears away from my eyes before answering it.   
“What’s wrong? Why have you been crying?”  
“A girl’s not allowed to drink wine and cry in her pyjamas in the privacy of her own home now?”  
“Veronica…”  
“What, Ope?”  
I turn around and walk back into the living room, curling back up on the couch with my wine, quickly finishing that glass before pouring another. I hear the front door close and lock and then he follows me into the living room. He sits on the other end of the couch and says:  
“Talk to me, sweetheart.”  
“Tara is leaving Jax. She got a job out of state and she leaves in a week. She’s taking the boys with her, obviously.”  
“Has she told him?”  
I laugh bitterly and say:  
“No. She wants me to.”  
“And you said yes because you love him and you want to make sure he actually knows.”  
“Yeah…but Ope…I love those boys, and she’s taking them away.”  
“I know, baby.”  
“But I know, if I asked her, Wendy would want Abel far away from this town. From Jax. From Gemma. So Tara’s doing the right thing. I just…”  
“You’re going to miss them.”  
“Yeah.”  
“What can I do?”  
My eyes fill with tears again and I don’t say anything.  
“Veronica…How can I help you?”  
“Can you…Nevermind. Nothing. I’ll be fine.”  
“Veronica, sweetheart. Tell me what you need.”  
“Can you just hold me? It’s been so long since someone just held me. When I was in Belfast I had Trinity, so this wasn’t an issue…When I was upset there was someone who loved me to just hold me and tell me everything was going to be okay…but here, with Juice in prison…”  
“Come here.”

I put down my wine glass and crawl to the other end of the couch, curling up in his lap with my face pressed into his neck. He wraps his arms around me and we sit like that for a little while.


	12. Twelve

When I shift a little bit, I brush against his crotch accidentally and gasp when I realize he’s hard.  
“Ope…You should go home. I’m fine.”  
“Veronica. I can control myself enough to hold you until you are actually fine.”  
“Yeah…’cause you’re getting laid on a regular basis. Just go, please?”

I stand up and say:  
“Can you lock the door on your way out?”  
“Veronica…I can help you with that too. If you’ll let me.”  
“Please just go.”

I walk out of the room and wait until I hear the front door open, close, and lock before I walk into my bedroom. I take my clothes off and lie down on the bed, one hand rolling my nipple between my fingers and the other rubbing circles on my clit. I try to think about Juice, but my skin smells like Opie, and his face keeps flashing in my mind. When I arch off the bed with my orgasm and open my eyes, I see him leaning against the doorframe staring at me with dark, hungry eyes.   
“I told you to leave. I thought you had left.”  
“I did. I came back. What were you just thinking about?”  
“That’s what you want to know right now?”  
“I also want to know how you taste, how tight your pussy is, and if you’d change your mind and let me fuck you. But I thought I’d start with what you were thinking about. But seeing as you’re staring at me and your fingers are still pumping into your pussy and you’re still rubbing your clit, I’m thinking I may know the answer.”

I bite my lip and say:  
“Are you just going to stand there staring?”  
“I’m waiting for my invitation to join in.”  
“If you touch me it’s cheating. You’d be cheating on Lyla, I’d be cheating on Juice…”  
“So I’ll spank you afterwards for being a bad girl.”

As he says that, I orgasm again.  
“Do you promise?”  
“Promise what, sweetheart?”  
“That you’ll spank me.”  
“Veronica…are you into kinky fuckery?”  
“Not usually…But right now? I really, really want you to hurt me.”  
“Your bed is perfect for tying someone up. Do you have something I can use?”  
“Top drawer on the left in the closet. Should be scarves in there.”

He walks into the closet and comes back out with two long scarves tied together. He climbs onto the bed and pulls my hand away from my pussy, sucking my fingers off as he does. He moans and says:  
“God, you taste good…Like fucking candy.”  
He ties my wrists together through the metal bars on the headboard so there’s enough slack that he can flip me over if he wanted, but I can’t really touch him. As he’s climbing back off the bed, he runs his fingers down my body before shoving them into me. I come gasping before I say:  
“How do you want me?”  
“Just like this, wet, responsive, and gasping, those pretty, pretty boobs heaving.”

He removes his fingers from me and slides them into my mouth.  
“Suck your juices off of me.”  
I lick his fingers clean, then he leans down and kisses me.   
“Such a good girl. Following instructions.”  
“Opie…Please.”  
“Please, what?”  
“Please fuck me.”  
He smirks and takes his clothes off before climbing back onto the bed. He kisses me again then moves down my body and bites my nipples before grabbing my hips and roughly flipping me on to my stomach.  
“Get up on your knees.”  
I get up on my knees and put my ass in the air. Without warning, he spanks me and I gasp. He gently rubs his hand over the cheek he just smacked and says:  
“Such a pretty ass. Too bad you won’t be able to sit down on it tomorrow.”  
“Please Ope.”  
“Please what?”  
“More, please.”

He spanks me more, on both asscheeks, pausing between hits to soothe the skin. His spanking gets harder and harder as he goes, causing me to whimper and moan.   
“Your pretty ass is all red now, and you’re so wet, baby.”  
“Please, Opie. I want your cock in me.”  
He doesn’t say anything, just suddenly and roughly slams into me, making me scream. He doesn’t let up, fucking me roughly the whole time, reaching around to pinch and twist my nipples. I scream out:  
“Opie! Oh, God! Don’t stop!”  
“Can I come inside you?”  
“Yes! Please. God, yes. Fill me up with your come.”  
He twitches inside me and I feel his hot come fill me up before he pulls out. Without warning, he spanks me again, really hard, bringing tears to my eyes. Then he flips me over again and says:  
“I should leave you here like this. Tied up with my come dripping out of you as a punishment for cheating on my brother.”  
“Sure. But you won’t, because you want to fuck me again.”  
“Oh? And how do I want to do that?”  
“You’re going to leave me tied up, then you’re going to fuck me rough and fast again while choking me.”  
“God, baby. The look on your face when you say that. If porn actresses could just master that look, it would be so much more effective. A guy could come just from that.”  
“My goal was actually to get you hard again. Did it work?”  
“Yeah, baby. It did.”

He lifts my legs so they are wrapped around him and slides into me, leaning forward with one hand on my throat.   
“Are you sure, Veronica?”  
“Yes, please.”

I keep my eyes trained on his as he starts thrusting violently into me while putting more and more pressure on my throat. I moan and gasp and move my hips to meet him thrust for thrust. When he leans down more to bite one of my nipples he changes the angle of his thrusts and I scream in pain. He quickly moves back to how he was. I keep my eyes on his until they roll back in my head as I orgasm, moaning his name. He follows me over the edge, coming deep inside of me again. 

When he pulls out, he reaches up and unties my wrists, gently rubbing each wrist as the scarf gets unwrapped. He lies down next to me and gently kisses me, pulling me into his arms and rubbing my back.  
“Are you okay?”  
“Yeah. I’m good.”  
“I feel like we should have made a video of that. It was hot.”  
“I’d rather not have any physical reminders of cheating on Juice. So I’m good without the video. You should shower and go home.”  
“That’s not proper aftercare.”  
“I’m fine. You need to go. Please go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry...everyone feels suitably guilty in the morning.


	13. Thirteen

He gets up off the bed and quickly showers before getting dressed and leaving. I get up and pull the comforter off the bed, shoving it in the laundry hamper in the corner before going to shower. I’m in the shower scrubbing my body for a long time before I can’t smell Opie on me anymore. When I get out of the shower I dry off and put on the last shirt of Juice’s that still smells like him before going into my office and crying myself to sleep on the daybed. 

When I wake up in the morning it’s to the sounds of Gemma, Ellie, Kenny, and Lyla’s son Piper in the kitchen. I get up and walk down the hall to my room, trying not to attract attention, but Gemma spots me and follows me into my room, closing the door behind us.  
“Why were you sleeping in the office instead of in here? What’s wrong?”  
I turn around to face her and I start crying. She wraps her arms around me and says:  
“Who, baby? Who did you fuck?”  
I whisper my answer, hoping if maybe I don’t say it at full volume it won’t be true:  
“Opie.”  
“Oh, baby…You have to tell Juice.”  
I gasp and stare at her.  
“You have to tell him. And you have to do it today. If you don’t, Opie will.”  
“Why? Why would he do that?”  
“Because guilt has never sat well with him. It’ll eat away at him until he can’t control what comes out of his mouth.”  
“Well, I have to go to the prison this morning anyways to break Jax’s heart, so might as well break Juice’s at the same time.”  
“What do you have to tell Jax?”  
“That Tara got a job offer out of state and she’s taking it. She leaves in a week…Gemma, I know your initial instinct, like mine, will be to say ‘the fuck she is’, but I think it might actually be what’s best for the boys. I think we should let her go. I think if we help her go, help her take the boys, she’s more likely to let us see them in the future.”  
“You’re probably right.”  
“So does that mean you won’t make life difficult for Tara, and we’ll just let her go?”  
“Yes. Get dressed, go to the prison. I’ll deal with the kids this morning.”  
“Thanks, Gemma.”

I start walking towards the bathroom, taking my shirt off as I go and I hear Gemma gasp.  
“What?”  
“Your ass has handprint shaped bruises on it.”  
“I’m not surprised. The sex was pretty rough and he spanked me.”  
“I didn’t think that was your usual thing, sweetheart.”  
“It’s not. But neither is he. I think I just felt guilty from the start…About Juice, and Lyla, but also about Donna and Jax. I felt like I was betraying everyone. Letting him tie me up and hit me just seemed like an appropriate punishment.”  
“Oh, baby…No. Please tell me you at least got proper aftercare and he didn’t just leave.”  
“I kicked him out. He wanted to stay, but he started being all soft and gentle with me and I didn’t want that. I didn’t…”  
“Okay. Go shower. Get dressed. Go to the prison, then you and I are going to take the rest of the day as a pampering day. I will get someone else to watch the kids this afternoon. Okay?”  
“Okay.”

I quickly shower and dress before walking into the kitchen and kissing the kids on their heads before leaving the house. 

When I get to the prison I tell them that I need to see both Jax and Juice, but that I should see Juice first. I went into the visiting room and they brought Juice in.  
“Hi, baby. You don’t normally come to see me during the week.”  
“Gemma has the kids this morning…I needed to talk to you.”  
“That sounds ominous.”  
I take a deep breath and say:  
“I love you…So much.”  
“What happened, love?”  
“I fucked Opie. I let him tie me up, hurt me, and fuck me. In our house. In our bed.”  
“When?”  
“Last night.”  
“What did you do after?”  
“Kicked him out. Spent an hour in the shower scrubbing him off my skin. Put on the last shirt of yours that smells like you, and cried myself to sleep in the other room.”  
“It’s okay, baby.”  
“No. It’s not. I cheated on you.”  
“No. You didn’t. Prison clause. I’ve been in more than eight months. It has kicked in. It’s okay, Veronica.”  
“Prison clause or not…I’m so sorry, Juice.”  
I’m crying now and he reaches across the table and takes my hand.  
“My love. Are you still mine?”  
“Yes.”  
“That’s all that matters. I love you. I’ll be out in a few months, and then I will be in our bed with you every night for the rest of our lives.”  
“You’re being very understanding about this. I expected anger.”  
“Opie’s getting hit when I get out, but, baby…I’m not mad at you.”  
“I love you. I’m so sorry.”  
“I love you. Do me a favour and buy us new bedding before I get out, okay?”  
I laugh and say:  
“I can do that.”  
“Our time is up, and apparently you are visiting Jax too.”  
“For Tara.”  
“Ah. I love you, Veronica Mars.”  
“I love you, Juan Ortiz.”  
He leans over and kisses me quickly before the guards yell at him, then he walks away.

When Jax comes in and sits down he says:  
“Why was Juice crying?”  
“That’s not relevant to our conversation.”  
“Who did you fuck?”  
“Opie. I let him tie me up, spank me, strangle me, and fuck me. Is that what you want to hear?”  
“Why?”  
“Because I was upset and drunk.”  
“Why were you upset?”  
“Ah…To the subject of today’s visit. Tara got a job out of state. She’s going and she’s taking the boys. She leaves in a week.”  
“You can’t let her.”  
“That was my initial response too, babe…But, I think it might actually be what’s best for the boys. I don’t want them to go. You know how much I love those kids…But being away from Charming? From the club? I think it might be best.”  
“Why isn’t she the one here telling me this?”  
“She thought you’d take the news better coming from me.”  
“Why?”  
“Because you love me more than you love her…Her words, not mine.”  
“It’s an accurate statement. Although I’m a bit pissed at you at the moment, seeing as you fucked my best friend last night. How many times did you come?”  
“That is not relevant.”  
“Answer the question.”  
“Six? But he fucked me twice. Once from behind after spanking me, and once missionary style while choking me.”

He shifts in his seat and I lick my lips.  
“How hard are you right now, Jackson?”  
“Extremely. God, I wish we were somewhere where I could fuck you.”  
“Jackson.”  
“Sorry. I’ll behave.”  
“What do you want me to tell Tara?”  
“Tell her to go. It’s fine. I’d like to see my boys when I get out though.”  
“I’ll tell her.”  
“Veronica…Don’t fuck Opie again.”  
“I wasn’t planning on it. In fact, I’m planning on avoiding him like the fucking plague.”  
“Good. I’ll take care of Juice.”  
“Thank you. Just remind him that I’m still his…I didn’t…”  
“I know, baby. I love you.”  
“I love you. Goodbye Jackson.”

When I get back home, Gemma says:  
“Let’s go, love.”  
“Where exactly are we going?”  
“To San Francisco, of course. We are going to a spa, where we will get our hair and nails done, along with getting massages. And then we’re going for dinner before coming home.”  
“Who has the kids?”  
“Chibs.”  
I start laughing and say:  
“At his house?”  
“Yes.”

I pull my phone out and call Chibs.  
“Veronica…”  
“Have they lost their damn minds yet?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Bring them to my house. The spare key is under the flowerpot with the blue flowers in it. Gemma and I won’t be back 'til late.”  
“You are the best, sweetheart.”  
“Some people might disagree with you.”  
“They’re idiots.”  
I hang up and Gemma and I drive to San Francisco. 

At the spa we get our hair done first, being sent to different ends of the salon. I decide I need to do something crazy, so I get my long blonde hair cut drastically and coloured in jewel tones. When the hairstylist is done, my head is shaved on the sides and back with triangle shapes shaved in, each triangle dyed a different jewel tone. The hair that’s left on top is cut angled so the front is longer than the back. It’s all coloured with the same jewel tones as the triangles, so depending on the angle the hair is placed in or viewed from, a different colour is visible.

When Gemma and I meet back up to get our nails done, she looks at me and says:  
“Goddamn. You look hot.”  
“Thanks, Gemma. It was time for a change.”

We have a peaceful afternoon and a lovely dinner before driving back to Charming. When Gemma drops me off at my house, Opie’s car is in the driveway, along with Chibs’ bike.  
“Are you okay, sweetheart?”  
“Peachy. The kids are still here. I’m good.”  
“Okay. Goodnight, love.”  
“Night, Gemma.”

I walk into the house and Kenny runs up to me and says:  
“Aunty Ronnie! Your hair looks awesome!”  
“Thanks, kiddo.”  
When I get into the living room, the guys look up and I focus on Chibs. He grins and says:  
“You look gorgeous, darlin’.”  
“Thanks. Can everyone go? I’m tired.”  
“Of course.”  
He gets up and walks over to me, putting his hand on my shoulder before he says:  
“Are you okay, sweetheart?”  
“No. I’m not.”  
“Can I help?”  
“Yeah, actually. I have a lot of work over the next few days. Any chance you can watch the kids at your place? You can take the game systems. I just need alone time to get it all done.”  
“Of course.”  
He hugs me and whispers in my ear:  
“You’re lying to me, but I’ll play along because you clearly don’t want to talk about it…But I’m here for you.”  
“Thanks, Chibs.”

I walk over to Opie and hold out my hand.  
“You don’t need a key to my house.”  
“Veronica.”  
“No.”  
“Can you look at me, rather than the ground behind me?”  
“No. I can’t. Key please.”  
“Veronica.”  
“This is not a conversation I am having with you. Give me the key to my house.”  
He takes the key off of his keyring and puts it in my hand, deliberately brushing his fingers over my palm. I feel a wave of nausea and run to the hall bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before I vomit.


	14. Fourteen

Ellie comes in the room behind me and rubs my back, saying:  
“Aunty Ronnie, are you pregnant? Aunty Tara threw up a lot when she was pregnant with Thomas.”  
“No, baby. I’m not pregnant. I can’t get pregnant. When I got shot when I was a teenager, the parts that grow the baby were damaged too much to save. The doctors had to remove them. I’m just not feeling well.”  
“Maybe Daddy should come back after taking us home so he can take care of you.”  
“No. I’ll be fine. I think I’m going to go stay with my Daddy. He’ll take care of me.”  
“Are you sure? He’s usually pretty busy taking care of Uncle Wayne.”  
“Uncle Wayne is a handful. I’ll be okay, Ellie-girl. Go home.”  
She kisses my cheek and walks out of the room. I sit in the corner of the room next to the bathtub, pull my knees up to my chin, and cry. 

I hear Chibs and Opie talking quietly in the other room, Opie wants to stay and Chibs is telling him, no, then I hear Wallace’s voice say:  
“Get out of my sister’s house. We will take care of her. Where is she?”  
“The hall bathroom.”  
I hear someone walk into the room and then I’m being picked up. I smell a clean ocean smell and open my eyes to see Logan. I press my forehead into his neck and say:  
“Logan…You’re here.”  
Then I start crying harder as he carries me to the living room. He sits on the couch with me in his lap, holding me tightly while I cry. Wallace says:  
“I’m pretty sure I told you to get out of my sister’s house, man. Don’t make me hit you in front of your kids.”  
“But this is my fault. Let me fix it.”  
“Man, she doesn’t want to be near you. It’s so bad Gemma called me so I could drive four and a half hours and be here for my sister. Get the fuck out.”

I look at Wallace and say:  
“When did she call you?”  
“This morning, but I had classes today.”  
“What did she say, exactly?”  
“Something about stupid fucking morons playing at things they don’t understand and mental trauma. She was pissed.”  
“Sounds like Gemma.”  
“She also told me you went to the prison today to tell Juice whatever this is, and to tell Jax that Tara’s leaving. She said you were pretty upset about losing the boys too…Abel, you’re upset about losing Abel.”  
“Well, I did throw away my fucking life and got my grandmother killed in order to bring him home to Jax…Tara’s doing what’s right for the boys. No child should grow up in the middle of this club. But…a part of me wishes I could go with them…Just to be near the boys.”  
Logan says:  
“So go.”  
“I won’t go anywhere without Juice, and he won’t leave the club.”  
“Ronnie…”  
“Logan.”  
“Okay. I don’t want to fight with you since you’re letting me touch you for the first time since we were seventeen.”  
“I’m pretty sure at seventeen I told you not to come back.”  
“Yeah, you did. I thought Juice was going to kick my ass that day.”  
“He wanted to. I’m pretty sure if you had tried anything he would have laid you out. He was pissed when you called me a whore.”  
“Yeah…that was uncalled for. I am sorry about that.”  
“Am I meeting a new, improved, gentler Logan Echolls?”  
“Shut up, oh annoying one.”  
“You love me.”  
“Always have.”

He tugs on my hair and says:  
“This is pretty hot, by the way. Is it new?”  
“Yeah. Got it done today. Channelled my guilt about being a cheating whore into a huge life decision. The blonde cheerleader look doesn’t really suit my personality anymore.”  
“Mac would say that it’s just hair.”  
“Well, she would know. How many crazy hairstyles has that girl had since we met her?”  
“Too many to count.”  
He whispers against my ear:  
“You are not a whore. You made an error in judgement. You are not a whore.”  
“It’s nice of you to say, but doesn’t change the fact that I broke Juice’s heart and pissed Jax off today.”  
“Why did Jax care?”  
“I don’t know if you remember from that night at the club, but he’s a tiny bit possessive.”  
“Uh, yeah…This is the guy who pulled you out of my arms and claimed you as his own within two minutes of meeting you. But you’re Juice’s girlfriend, not Jax’s.”  
“He’s in love with me, Logan.”  
“Who isn’t? We’re not all possessive asses about it though.”  
“Excuse me? I’ve met you.”

Opie says:  
“The prison clause is in effect. You didn’t cheat.”  
I look around and see that the kids have gone outside, so I say:  
“You did.”  
“Yeah. But that’s an issue for me and Lyla.”  
“Like hell it is. It’s going to be an issue between me and Lyla and you fucking know it.”  
“I’ll talk to her tonight. I’ll tell her you were drunk and I let myself back into the house after you asked me to leave.”  
“Doesn’t change the fact that I eagerly consented. She’s going to be pissed at me either way. It’s fine. Can you go now, please? I don’t want you here.”  
“Veronica.”  
“Please.”

He leaves the house and I don’t speak again until I hear his car leave.  
“As much as I appreciate you guys coming to my rescue, it wasn’t necessary. Gemma shouldn’t have called you.”  
Wallace says:  
“Like hell, Supafly. Explain what happened.”  
“Not a conversation I want to have with my brother. Thanks.”

From the door another voice says:  
“What about me? You want to talk about it with me?”  
“Lyla…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”  
“Can we talk, V?”  
“Yeah. Boys, why don’t you go see Mom and Dad for a bit?”  
Wallace and Logan both nod and leave the house, closing the door behind them.

Lyla and I sit on the couch and she says:  
“I need you to tell me everything.”  
“I was upset. Tara had just told me she was leaving town and taking the boys. I was on my fourth glass of wine when Ope came to the door…I don’t even know why he was here…He asked why I was upset, I explained. He asked if there was anything he could do to help. I asked him if he could just hold me. I don’t have anyone to just hold me with Juice gone and Trinity in Belfast. So he did. We just sat on the couch, me curled up in his lap…Nothing bad. But when I shifted I realized that he was aroused. He said he could hold me without acting on it, I made a comment about how that’s because he gets laid regularly. I moved off of him. I told him to leave. And he did. He left.”  
“And then?”  
“I went into my room. I took my pyjamas off and I was lying on my bed masturbating. He had left. The door was locked. I had my eyes closed. After I orgasmed I opened my eyes and he was leaning against my door frame staring at me, his eyes all dark and hungry. I asked if he was just going to stand there staring. He said he was waiting for his invitation to join in. I told him that if he touched me it would be cheating. He said that he’d spank me for being a bad girl afterwards. It progressed from there. We’re both at fault.”  
“I need to know. What did you guys do?”  
“He tied me to the bed, flipped me over and spanked me until my ass was red, then violently fucked me before spanking me really hard. After he flipped me over again, he violently fucked me again while choking me.”  
“And he liked this?”  
“He seemed to.”  
“And you liked it?”  
“Very much so.   
“Do you have bruises?”  
“Yes. Handprint shaped ones on my ass.”  
“Was any of this without your consent?”  
“Aside from him initially letting himself back in the house? No. He made sure to get my full consent for everything.”  
She takes a deep breath and says:  
“I’m going to kick him out for tonight. If he comes here, can you tell him to sleep at the apartment?”  
“Yeah.”  
She gets up and leaves the house and I take the opportunity to go change into sleep shorts and a sports bra knowing Wallace and Logan will want to watch a movie when they get back.

By the time I walk back into the living room, Opie is sitting on the couch.  
“Lyla works fast.”  
“Yeah. She’s very efficient at kicking me out.”  
“You have to stay at the apartment, not here.”  
“No.”  
“Ope.”  
“No. We need to talk about last night.”  
“Fine. Talk.”  
“Why didn’t you let me stay and take care of you?”  
“Because this isn’t our relationship, Ope. We’re just friends. Letting you stay and be loving to me after we made a mistake like that just seemed like a recipe for disaster.”  
“It wasn’t a mistake.”  
“Yes, it was. I love two men. Two. I’m in a relationship with one, and the other…I love him. But what happened between us? It hurt both of them. Jax covered by being an ass, but I saw the pain in his eyes. Juice cried. What happened between us was a mistake, and one we can’t repeat.”  
“Come here.”  
“Nope. You are not touching me. You need to leave.”  
“Are you afraid if you let me touch you that you’ll give in to that lust you’re feeling?”  
“I don’t want you.”  
“But you want me to hurt you again.”  
“No. I want you to leave.”  
“I’m not leaving.”  
“Opie, you can leave, or I can call the sheriff to remove you.”  
“Seriously?”  
“Yeah. Seriously. I don’t want you here. Get out.”


	15. Fifteen

Two weeks after Tara and the boys left, I’m at home working with music playing because I’m still not used to not having the kids around when there’s a knock on the door. When I get up to answer it, Mom is standing on the porch. I sigh and say:  
“Pretty sure I told you not to come back, Lianne.”  
“I’m sober now, Veronica.”  
“I’ve heard that story before.”  
“Can I come in? Please?”  
“Fine. But I’m warning you now, there’s no money for you to steal.”  
“Veronica…”  
I walk into the house and sit on the couch.   
“So what do you want, Lianne?”  
“Do we have some time, or will he be home soon?”  
“He who?”  
“Whoever you live with here.”  
“You mean my boyfriend? The one I’ve been with since I was seventeen?”  
“Yeah. The biker.”  
“He won’t be home for…four months.”  
“He’s in prison?”  
“Yes.”  
“What did he do?”  
“That’s not relevant, Lianne. What do you want?”  
“A chance to be your Mom.”  
“No.”  
“No?”  
“No. I have a Mom. She is always there for me when I need her, even when I screw up. Even when I disappoint her. She never puts her own needs ahead of mine, even though I’m an adult now and I keep telling her it’s not necessary. She was there for me after my surgery. She didn’t try to blame the person that kept me alive. She held me while I cried for days after Juice went to prison. I don’t need you. Alicia is more of a Mom to me than you ever were. Hell, Gemma is more of a Mom to me than you ever were.”

Before Mom can say anything Ellie, Kenny, and Piper come running in.   
“Aunty Ronnie!”  
“Hi, guys. What are you doing here?”  
“Daddy has an emergency and he was hoping you could watch us because Lyla’s on set and Gemma and Pop are busy.”  
“And Chibs is needed with your Daddy?”  
“Yes.”  
“Where is Daddy?”  
“Outside. He didn’t want to upset you by coming in… Aunty Ronnie, why would Daddy coming in upset you?”  
“It’s not important, Ellie. I’ll go talk to Daddy. You guys go play in the backyard for now, okay?”  
“Yes, Aunty Ronnie.”

They run outside and I stand up and walk out to the porch.  
“An emergency?”  
“Club business.”  
“Yeah. I figured. Anything I should be worried about? We don’t have a club doctor anymore.”  
“I’ll try not to get shot.”  
“Always a prudent policy.”  
“You can watch the kids?”  
“I’m not avoiding them, Ope. Yes, I can watch them. Will Lyla pick them up?”  
“Yes. Can I come over later?”  
“No.”  
“Veronica…We’re friends.”  
“Not so much right now. I don’t want to be alone with you. I don’t want you in my house. You have trouble understanding me when I say no.”  
“Only when your mouth is saying no when the rest of your body is screaming at me to touch you.”  
“You are getting married in four months, and I promised Juice and Jax that I wouldn’t fuck you again. You need to stop.”  
“Yeah. Okay.”

He turns around to walk back to his car and I say:  
“Hey, Ope?”  
“Yeah?”  
“Stay alive.”  
“I’ll do my best.” 

He gets in the car and I go back into the house. I pick up my phone and dial Gemma’s number.  
“Hi, baby.”  
“You’re busy, huh?”  
“You can’t avoid him forever, baby. And I know you miss the kids. Don’t let one slip ruin your relationship.”  
“If I let him in it won’t just be one slip, Gemma. I want it to happen again. I want him to hurt me again. I want him to fuck me again. That’s why I’ve been avoiding him…Because one of these days, I’m not going to be able to say no anymore.”  
“Oh, baby.”  
“I’m not even attracted to him. I don’t get it.”  
“You’re drawn to the pain, love. That’s all. Just hold off, I’m sure you’ll be able to convince Juice to hurt you.”  
“Doubtful. I don’t know what to do, Gemma.”  
“Maybe you and I should go away for a while. The boys can survive on their own without us.”  
“Can they?”  
“…Maybe. We should talk to Opie and Lyla about taking the kids with us. We could take Darrell too.”  
“Take the kids where? What are you plotting?”  
“Disneyworld. We’ll go for a few weeks. Give you distance from Ope.”  
“Disneyworld. And who is paying for that? The tooth fairy?”  
“This would be a good use of blood money.”  
“Ah…So I’m paying for a multi-week trip to Disneyworld for four kids and two adults…I understand. And let me guess, you think we should stay at one of the expensive hotels.”  
“Baby…The money is doing you no good sitting in the bank. At least this way you’ll have three weeks of memories with the kids while they’re kids. And it’ll be fun.”  
“Gemma….I never thought I’d be having a conversation with you that involved you trying to convince me to go to Disneyworld. I’m sold for that very reason. But Wallace is going to be pissed if he doesn’t get to come with us.”  
“He’s a grown-up, he could go on his own.”  
“Well, yeah…But if I take one brother and not the other? That’s some serious favouritism.”  
“Except Wallace is your favourite.”  
“Only because he was my friend before he became my brother. We’re tight.”  
“Tight, huh?”  
“His phrase, not mine.”  
“Talk to Lyla tonight when she picks up the kids, and then Ope when he comes over after that.”  
“I told him he couldn’t come over.”  
“And yet? He’ll be there.”  
“Because he doesn’t seem to understand the word no.”  
“Uh-huh. Talk to them and Alicia and let me know. We’ll go see the travel agent tomorrow.”  
“Yes, my queen.”

I hang up and look at Mom.  
“Lianne, why are you really here?”  
“I told you. I just want a chance to be your Mom.”  
“I don’t believe you. So try again. Why are you really here?”  
“I wanted to ask you to be my maid of honour.”  
“Who are you marrying?”  
“Jake.”  
I laugh bitterly and say:  
“Of course you are. Couldn’t even stay away from him after I got shot because of your affair.”  
“I love him.”  
“Yeah…More than me. As you’ve proven over and over again.”  
“Veronica…You’re my daughter. I want you by my side.”  
“Go fuck yourself. I will have nothing to do with that wedding. Get out of my house.”  
She gets up and leaves without further complaint. 

I send Alicia a text that says:  
‘Gemma and I are thinking about taking Lyla’s kids to Disneyworld for three weeks. Can we take Darrell too?’  
‘Of course you can, but Wallace is going to whine if you don’t take him too.’  
‘I know, Mom. I’m thinking about it.’  
‘Let me know when the trip is planned and we’ll sit down with Darrell together.’  
‘Cool. Thanks, Mom.’

I put my phone down, then pick it back up and send a text before I can change my mind:  
‘I changed my mind. You can come over tonight.’  
I put the phone down again and go into the backyard to play with the kids.

Hours later when Lyla comes to pick up the kids, I say:  
“Can we talk for a second?”  
“Yeah, V. Of course.”  
“Gemma and I were thinking it might be fun to get out of town for a while and she suggested that maybe she and I could take the kids to Disneyworld for three weeks. I’ll pay for everything, it’s not like I don’t have the money just sitting in the bank. We’re going to take my brother Darrell too. What do you think?”  
“I think the kids would love that. They miss you.”  
“I miss them too. I haven’t been trying to avoid them, just…”  
“Just Ope.”  
“Yeah.”  
“Have you talked to Ope or the kids yet?”  
“No. I talked to Mom about taking Darrell, but Gemma and I wanted to talk to you before we went to the travel agency to book the trip. Once it’s booked we’ll talk to the kids.”  
“You are going to need to talk to Ope…I can give permission for Piper to go, but not Ellie and Kenny.”  
“I know. We’ll talk to him later tonight or tomorrow. When he stops being busy with whatever he’s busy with.”  
“So you don’t know either?”  
“Nope. All I got was ‘club business’.”  
“Ugh…So frustrating. Like, just fucking tell us things.”  
“Agreed. Although, Jax told Tara everything and she fled, so…”  
“Valid point. Hey, if he comes by tonight, can you fuck him please?”  
“Uh, why?”  
“Because he’s miserable and grouchy and he hasn’t been in a good mood since the day after the last time. Clearly he needs you or needs to inflict pain and I won’t let him do that with me.”  
“Just a suggestion…you might want to try it.”  
“Despite my profession, I’m fairly vanilla in the bedroom. I’m not interested in letting my fiancé hit me.”  
“But your fiancé fucking someone else and hitting her, that’s cool?”  
“Yeah. As long as I know ahead of time.”


	16. Sixteen

Two hours after Lyla and the kids leave, I’m sitting in the living room wearing sleep shorts and a tank top watching a movie when there’s a knock on the door.

When I open the door, he says:   
“Am I here to play, or to talk?”  
“Talk.”  
“Then you should be wearing more clothes.”  
“It’s my house…I could legitimately be lounging naked.”  
“If you want me to be able to control myself, you need more clothes.”  
“You just need to learn more self-control.”  
I step back and let him in before closing and locking the door. As he walks to the living room, I follow taking off my clothes. I sit on the couch, cross-legged facing him and he groans.  
“You’re trying to kill me.”  
“Nope. Just trying to teach you some self-control. Just because I’m naked doesn’t mean I’m yours to touch. So we are going to sit here and have a conversation and you are going to keep your hands to yourself.”  
“And if I succeed?”  
“You’ll be rewarded.”  
“And if I fail?”  
“You’ll go home.”  
“Fine…But Veronica?”  
“Yes?”  
“You will be punished for this.”  
“Oh? More spankings?”  
“No…I’m thinking I’m going to hit you with my belt this time. Clearly you have a lesson you need to learn too.”  
“Oh? And what’s the lesson I need to learn?”  
“Modesty.”  
“Ah. I have a feeling you’ll fail the little test anyway, so it’s a moot point.”  
“What did you want to talk about?”  
“Gemma and I want to take the kids to Disneyworld for three weeks. I talked to Lyla, she thought it was a good idea, but obviously, she could only give me permission to take Piper.”  
“When?”  
“Soon? We’re going to go to the travel agency tomorrow.”  
“I can’t afford Disneyworld.”  
“I’m paying.”  
“You can’t afford it either.”  
“I’m spending some of the blood money. May as well, right? They took away my ability to have kids, so might as well use some of the blood money to have good memories with other people’s kids.”  
“Ronnie…”  
“It’s fine. It’s in the past. I never wanted kids anyways…”  
“Seventeen year old you didn’t…Twenty-one year old you does. I’m so sorry baby.”  
“She showed up today to ask me to be her maid of honour when she married him. Even after I got shot because of her affair, she still couldn’t let him go. She’s my mother. She’s supposed to care about me more than that.”  
“Can we be done this test now so I can touch you?”  
“No. Can I take the kids to Disneyworld or not?”  
“No.”  
“Why not?”  
“I don’t want you to be gone for three weeks.”  
“I’m not yours.”  
“I understand that, but prison clause says that I can borrow you.”  
“I’m not a fucking lawnmower.”  
“No. You’re an old lady. Which means you are Juice’s property until he decides otherwise, and while he’s in prison for an extended time, other brothers are allowed to fuck you.”  
“Wow…that was a whole lot of garbage that just fell out of your mouth. You want to take some of it back?”  
“No. It was an accurate statement.”  
“Get out.”

I stand up to go get my clothes, and he grabs me as I walk by, pulling me into his lap. Before I can react enough to free myself, he’s shoving two fingers inside me. I whimper and say:  
“No. Stop it.”  
“I told you that you were going to be punished for this, I don’t know why you were going for your clothes.”  
“Lyla was right…You need to inflict pain. I didn’t think anything of it last time, but your eyes are fucking sparkling you’re so happy about the idea of hurting me. I don’t consent. I don’t consent to you holding me, to your fingers inside of me, to you hurting me, to you fucking me, I don’t fucking consent. If you continue with this, it will be rape. I do not consent.”  
He pulls his fingers out of me and lets me go. 

I quickly move away from him and into my room, going into the closet and pulling on sweatpants and one of Juice’s hoodies. When I go back into the living room, I say:  
“Get out of my house.”  
“Veronica, I’m sorry.”  
“Just get out. Please.”  
“I didn’t mean what I said.”  
“Yes, you did.”  
“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”  
“That’s all you mean to do. You need to find a new sitter for the kids. I don’t want you here anymore. Even for emergencies. And I will be going away for a while…Disneyworld with Gemma, Darrell, and Piper for a few weeks, and then…somewhere else. I won’t be back until Juice comes home.”  
“Veronica. Don’t run away.”  
“I’m a grown woman, and you are the guy that just shoved his fingers into me against my will. You get zero say in what I do.”  
“Veronica, we’re friends.”  
“We used to be friends. Now we’re nothing. Get out.”  
“Veronica.”  
“Get out!”  
“Okay. I’m going. I’m sorry.”

He walks over to the door, unlocks it, and opens it, and promptly gets punched in the face.  
“You’re here, upsetting my sister again.”  
“I didn’t mean to.”  
I say:  
“Wallace, let him leave.”  
“You need to tell me what he did.”  
“Referred to me as Juice’s property and shoved his fingers into me against my will.”  
“Oh…So not just upsetting my sister, but sexually assaulting her!”  
Wallace hits Opie again and then steps back so Opie can leave. I see Opie draw back his arm so I reach into the drawer of the table next to the door and pull out my gun, making sure Opie sees it before I point it at his head.  
“My brother is trying to protect me. You hurt him and I will shoot you in the fucking head.”  
“You wouldn’t.”  
“You wanna bet?”  
“Veronica. I know I fucked up, but you won’t orphan Donna’s children.”  
“They have Lyla. They’d be fine.”

I see the sheriff’s truck pull up and I put the gun away. Sheriff Roosevelt steps out of his truck and walks towards the house.  
“Veronica, Wallace. Is this asshole bothering you?”  
“Just a minor disagreement, Sheriff. Everything’s fine.”  
Wallace looks at me like I’ve grown a second head and says:  
“He sexually assaulted Veronica.”  
I say:  
“It was just a minor disagreement about what I consented to and what I didn’t. I don’t wish to press charges.”  
Sheriff Roosevelt looks at me and says:  
“Are you sure?”  
“Yes, sheriff.”  
“I know you feel like you have to be loyal to the club because of Juice, but sweetheart, if he hurt you, let me arrest him.”  
“I’m five by five, sheriff.”  
“Okay. You let me know if you change your mind, okay?”  
“Yes, sir.”  
He looks at Opie and says:  
“It’s time for you to go home. Leave this girl alone.”  
Opie stands up and looks at me before saying:  
“Veronica, I…”  
“Say you’re sorry one more time and I will fucking press charges. Sorry doesn’t fucking fix anything. Leave.”

He leaves and so does the sheriff. I walk inside and pick up my phone to text Lyla:  
‘I didn’t fuck him. He sexually assaulted me. He also said I can’t take the kids to Disneyworld. I’d still like to take Piper if that’s cool.’  
‘Are you okay?’  
‘No. But I will be.’  
‘Piper would love to go.’  
‘Great. I’ll call you tomorrow with the details.’

I then text Gemma:  
‘Opie said we can’t take the kids. Lyla is cool with us taking Piper, and Mom says we can take Darrell.’  
‘And Wallace?’  
‘I don’t know about him yet. He’s currently nursing a sore hand from punching Opie in the face.’  
‘Why did he punch Opie?’  
‘Opie shoved his fingers into me against my will. Wallace thought that was unacceptable.’  
‘Uh…yeah. It fucking is. What the fuck? Prison clause or not, club members are not supposed to sexually assault old ladies. You need to go to the clubhouse tomorrow and see Chibs and Piney.’  
‘No. It doesn’t need to be public knowledge.’  
‘They aren’t public, they are your family.’  
‘No, Gemma. They are his family.’  
‘You are Juice’s old lady. The club is your family.’  
‘Doesn’t feel that way.’  
‘How can I help?’  
‘You can’t. I’ll be fine.’  
I put my phone down and flop down on the couch with my head on Wallace’s lap.  
“You want to come to Disneyworld with us?”  
“Yes. That’s why I’m here. I can’t believe you even considered going without me.”  
“Good. Then Gemma will have help with the kids on the plane home.”  
“Uh…Explain, Supafly.”  
“After Disneyworld, I’m going to go somewhere else until it’s time for Juice to get out. I don’t want to be here.”  
“Where are you going to go?”  
“Santorini, maybe? Maybe somewhere in Spain. Somewhere warm, with beaches. Somewhere I can just get lost.”  
“Spain might be better than Greece since you speak Spanish fluently and don’t speak a word of Greek.”  
“Probably.”  
“Why don’t you just go to Mexico?”  
“I could.”

I pick up my phone and text Trinity:  
‘Babe, what are you doing for the next few months?’  
‘Whatever you are about to suggest. Get me out of this hellhole.’  
‘Want to spend a few months with me someplace warm with lots of white sandy beaches?’  
‘Fuck yes.’  
‘Okay. I’ll let you know once I have things figured out.’

Wallace brushes my hair out of my face and says:  
“Supafly…”  
“What, Papa Bear?”  
“You know I love you, right?”  
“Yeah. I love you too, little brother.”  
“And you know I’m fond of Juice, right?”  
“Yes, Wallace.”  
“Maybe you should consider…not coming back. You were happier in Belfast than I’ve ever seen you.”  
“I love Juice.”  
“I know.”


	17. Seventeen

The next day, Gemma and I go to a travel agent and make arrangements for our Disneyworld trip. We leave in five days and we’re staying at one of the expensive hotels in a suite for three weeks. After the three weeks in Disneyworld, Wallace and Gemma will be flying home with Darrell and Piper and I will be flying to Barcelona to meet Trinity. Trinity and I will be in Spain for ten weeks. I’ve arranged for us to rent a cheap apartment near the ocean.

After the travel agent’s office, Gemma and I go to the clubhouse to let the guys know that ‘Mom’ will be away for three weeks and to try not to get themselves killed in her absence. As Gemma is talking, Opie tries to touch my arm. Gemma stops talking, moves me away from Opie and stands between us before saying:  
“You will not fucking touch her. Not after the shit you pulled last night. The prison clause does not give you the right to sexually assault an old lady. You are lucky she didn’t press charges. I would have, and I told her to.”  
“Gemma…while I appreciate your vigorous defence of me, I’m fine. I’m only here for a few more days anyway, then I won’t be back until Juice is getting out.”

Chibs says:  
“You don’t have to leave, darlin’.”  
“Yes, I do.”  
“We’ll keep him away from you.”  
“You can’t Chibs. It’s fine. I’ll be back in time to be here when Juice gets home. In the meantime, Trinity and I are going somewhere warm and wonderful with lots of white sandy beaches and pretty boys for her to fuck.”  
“What about work?”  
“I have an understanding boss.”  
“Where are you going?”  
“Spain.”  
“Why Spain?”  
“I hear it’s nice there, and I speak Spanish fluently.”  
“It’s nice in Mexico too.”  
“A lot easier to get to Mexico from here when you’re a felon who isn’t supposed to leave the country than it is to get to Spain.”  
“Fair.”

My phone rings and when I answer it I hear:  
“Veronica.”  
“Sheriff Roosevelt.”  
“Where are you?”  
“Teller-Morrow. Why?”  
“I’d rather tell you in person. I’ll be right there.”  
I hang up and walk outside. The sheriff pulls in moments later and I see car seats in the backseat. I walk up to the car and see he has Abel and Thomas. When he gets out, he says:  
“There was a car accident. Tara and the boys were driving to San Francisco for a medical conference. The boys are fine, Thomas got a tiny scratch, nothing happened to Abel. But…Tara didn’t make it.”

My knees buckle, then I take a deep breath and stand up straight.  
“You’re sure it was an accident and not foul play? No-one killed Tara?”  
“It was an accident. Before she moved, Tara named you the boys’ legal guardian in the event of her death and their father’s death or incarceration.”  
“Why me? Why not Gemma?”  
“I guess Tara trusted you more.”  
“Is her body coming home?”  
“Yes. We just need to pay for the funeral and transport costs.”  
“I’ll cover anything that needs to be covered. Who do I talk to about that stuff?”  
“I’ll get you a number this afternoon.”  
“Thanks. Can I hold my boys now, please?”  
“Of course.”

I open Abel’s door and take him out of his car seat, saying:  
“Hi, buddy.”  
“Ronnie!”  
He wraps his arms around my neck and I start crying.  
“Go say hi to Grandma while I get Tommy out, okay?”  
“Okay.”  
He runs to Gemma and I walk around the car to get Thomas. As soon as he’s in my arms I start crying uncontrollably. I look at Sheriff Roosevelt and say:  
“Does Jax know?”  
“No. He wasn’t her spouse. You are legally her next of kin, it would be up to you to notify him.”  
“Okay.”  
“Where’s your car? I’ll put these car seats in it for you.”  
“I came with Gemma, so if you could put them in her car, I’d appreciate it.”  
“Okay…Veronica, are you alright sweetheart? I know you and Tara were close.”  
“I will be. I have to be. I have little boys to look after now.”  
He hands me the diaper bag and I walk back towards the clubhouse. Gemma says:  
“What? What happened? Where is Tara?”  
“There was a car accident. The boys are fine, but Tara didn’t make it. Apparently, before she left town she listed me as the boy’s legal guardian if she died and Jax was dead or incarcerated.”  
“Why you?”  
“I don’t know, and I can’t very well ask her, can I?”  
Gemma takes Thomas out of my arms as I start crying again.  
“I have to go tell Jax. Because he wasn’t her husband, they aren’t going to notify him. She had me listed as her next of kin. Can you take the boys home? Either to your place or mine?”  
“Yeah. How are you getting to Stockton?”  
“I was hoping one of these lovely gentlemen would drive me.”  
Opie says:  
“I’ll take you.”  
“Okay. Thanks. I’m going to need your help at home too. I have a crib for Thomas, but since I never started babysitting him, it’s not set up.”  
“No problem…You don’t have a problem with me being in your house?”  
“Are you going to attack me again?”  
“No…of course not. I didn’t…I didn’t mean to hurt you or upset you last night. I know you told me not to apologize again.”  
“So don’t. We’re fine.”

Gemma says:  
“We need to cancel our trip.”  
“Yeah. Unless we want to take a newborn and a toddler to Disneyworld.”  
“Not really.”  
“Yeah…Spain needs to be cancelled too. I’ll get Clarence to handle that.”  
“No. I can make the phone calls.”  
“You fluent in Spanish now? The landlord in Barcelona only spoke Spanish, so I do it, I get Clarence to do it, or I call Weevil or Felix to do it.”  
“Clarence it is.”  
“Exactly.”

I pull my phone out and send a message to Clarence saying:  
‘Change of plans. Tara is dead, I’m the legal guardian of the boys. Can you cancel Barcelona for me? I have to go tell Jax.’  
‘Of course, sweetheart. Is there anything else I can do?’  
‘Rewind time and not let her die?’  
‘How did she die?’  
‘Car accident between Portland and San Francisco. That’s all I know.’  
‘I’ll look into it.’  
‘Thanks, CW.’

I look at Opie and say:  
“Let’s go break Jax.”  
We walk over to his bike and before we get on he turns to me and says:  
“I know I scared you last night. And you’re right, I really enjoy hurting you. But I don’t ever want to actually hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you when you aren’t into it, I don’t want to hurt you more than you can handle. But baby, you are so incredibly responsive to pain. I’ve never been with anyone that responsive to it. You liked it when I hit you, you liked it when I fucked you violently and wasn’t gentle. I thought it was all part of the game last night. I didn’t realize I overstepped until you started talking about consent and I realized I didn’t get it, I am so sorry.”  
“Can we talk about this later in private, please?”  
“Yeah. Let’s go.”

When we get to Stockton he says:  
“I’ll wait out here.”  
“Yeah, okay.”  
As I start to walk away from him, he pulls me to him again and kisses me while pinching my asscheek — hard. I gasp and immediately stop crying.  
“Thanks.”  
“Hey, anytime you need me to touch that gorgeous ass of yours, I’m in.”  
“I’ll be back. Try not to get arrested while I’m gone.”

I walk into the prison and let them know that I’m here to see Jax. I get escorted into the visiting room, and then Jax does.  
“Hi, baby.”  
“Hi, Jax.”  
I put my hand on the table for him to take, and once he does, he says:  
“What’s wrong, Veronica?”  
“Tara and the boys were on their way to San Francisco for a medical conference, and there was a car accident. The boys are fine. Thomas got a small scratch, and Abel is perfect…But Tara…Tara didn’t make it.”  
“Why are you here telling me this?”  
“Tara listed me as her next of kin. So I was the one who was notified by the police. She also listed me as the boys’ legal guardian while you’re here.”  
“So you have my boys?”  
“Right now they’re with Gemma. I didn’t want to bring them with me. But yes, I have the boys. They will be staying with me until you’re out. Unless you’d rather they be with Gemma.”  
“No. I’d rather they be with you…Ronnie…You love them right?”  
“Jackson, that’s a stupid question. I love those boys. I loved their mothers, and I am completely in love with their father. There is no way I wouldn’t love the boys.”  
“You’re in love with me?”  
“Duh.”  
“But you’re in love with him too.”  
“Yes.”  
“And you’re his.”  
“Yes.”  
“So where does that leave us, my love?”  
“It leaves us exactly where we’ve always been, Jackson.”  
“I don’t like where we’ve always been.”  
“I’m sorry, Jax.”  
“What happens if you get attached to being Mommy?”  
“I won’t be Mommy. I’ll be Aunty Ronnie. And I’ll still be Aunty Ronnie after you get out. You’re going to need help with them.”  
“And if something happens to Juice?”  
“Then I’m yours. But, Jax…If you love me as much as you say you do, you will do everything in your power to keep him safe. I need him to come home to me. I have been waiting too long to be with him.”  
“I won’t let anything happen to him. I couldn’t bear to be the cause of your pain.”  
I squeeze his hand and say:  
“I love you. I need to go home now and get the crib set up and stuff. Are you okay?”  
“I’m okay. Take care of our boys, V.”  
“Our boys, huh?”  
“I told you the night I met you that you were mine. You will be mine.”  
“So I guess I don’t need to worry about you dying anytime soon then? You’ll stay alive just so you can claim me eventually?”  
“Exactly.”  
“You promise?”  
“I promise. I intend to die when I am very old. Preferably in bed with you.”  
I smile and shake my head at him.  
“Goodbye, Jackson.”  
“Goodbye, Veronica. I love you.”

When I get back outside to Opie I say:  
“Let’s go put the stupid crib together.”  
“How’d he take it?”  
“How do you think he took it?”  
“He focused the conversation on the boys and how much he loves you, so he didn’t start crying in front of you.”  
“Exactly.”


	18. Eighteen

Over the next week, the boys and I settle into a rhythm — I even get used to the middle of the night feedings. But then one afternoon there’s a knock on the door. When I open it I see Trinity on the porch. I start crying and hug her before dragging her into the house.  
“What are you doing here?”  
“I thought I’d come help with my nephews.”  
“It’s not exactly Spain.”  
“No, but there is a certain fellow I had my eye on last time I was here.”  
“And who was that?”  
“Wallace. Is he in town?”  
“Not currently, but I’m sure he will be once he hears that you’re here. How long are you staying?”  
“Until Juice comes home or you kick me out.”  
“I love you.”  
“I know.”

For the next three and a half months, Trinity and I live in relative peace with the boys — it’s difficult to achieve perfect peace with an infant, a toddler, and a meddling Grandmother. We do morning calls with Juice and evening calls with Jax and prepare Abel to move back home with Daddy.

The day the guys get out of Stockton, I get Opie to help me move the boys’ stuff over to Jax’s so it’s there when the boys get home. Trinity is in Neptune with Wallace, so the boys and I go to the clubhouse to meet the guys when they get back. When they pull in I have to hold onto Abel because he wants to run to Jax immediately. When Jax gets close enough I let Abel go, saying:  
“Go see Daddy.”  
I walk over to Jax and hand Thomas to him before softly kissing him and saying:  
“I’m glad you’re home. Maybe your sister can move in with you now.”  
“Driving you nuts, huh?”  
“No. I just don’t really want to share a bed with her and Juice…seems…crowded.”  
“Oh, yeah…No. Juicy Boy doesn’t get the woman I love and my sister. No.”  
I laugh and walk away. When I get close to Juice I launch myself at him, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck before kissing him.   
“Do you have club business or can I take you home and ravage you?”  
“Club business, but it shouldn’t take long. Besides, isn’t Trinity still staying at the house?”  
“She’s in Neptune this weekend. She and Wallace have been fucking since she moved in. It’s pretty serious actually.”  
“So we have the house to ourselves for multiple days?”  
“Yeah, but the wedding is tonight.”  
“I can’t believe she’s still marrying him after what he did to you.”  
“Hey, I’m fine, and Ope and I are fine. Let it go, babe.”

I kiss him again and drop down off of him before turning to face Jax and saying:  
“I just remembered that I should tell you, Mom said she’d watch the boys tonight so you can go to the wedding.”  
“Is she keeping them overnight?”  
“Yes. And she and Dad have successfully raised two children to adulthood and one to the ripe age of nine, so they should be able to handle it.”  
He laughs and says:  
“Especially Keith…He had to raise you.”  
“Hey! I was an angel!”  
“Excuse me? I seem to recall a seventeen-year-old Veronica Mars with a fake ID at a nightclub owned by a gang who then went home with a twenty-seven-year-old man she had just fucking met! An angel my ass.”  
“Yeah, well, I seem to recall that twenty-seven-year-old man not caring that I was only seventeen.”  
“I’m a dirty old man…I own it. You though? So not an angel. I feel sorry for your father.”  
“Asshole.”  
“Let’s not forget all the trouble you got into in Belfast.”  
Juice grins at this, and I say:  
“What trouble?”  
“All the guys you hooked up with.”  
“No, dear. See…You made an assumption, and I allowed you to believe it. Between the last time Juice and I fucked before I got shot, and the first time we fucked when I came home with Abel, the only person to touch me…was me. I didn’t hook up with anyone in Belfast.”  
“You were gone for three years.”  
“And I was in love with Juice.”  
“Seriously? Trinity would back this up?”  
Juice says:  
“Trinity’s the one that told me. She said ‘you’re the reason I couldn’t get my girl to sample any of the local Belfast flavour’.”  
Jax shakes his head and says:  
“How…what? You went three years without anything, but nine months into our incarceration you fucked Opie?”

I shrug and say:  
“Mistakes were made.”  
Opie shakes his head and says:  
“I really wish you’d stop referring to it as a mistake. You enjoyed yourself.”  
“That doesn’t make it less of a mistake, buddy.”

I look at Juice and say:  
“I’ll meet you at home in a bit?”  
“Yeah…You did buy new bedding right?”  
“As requested.”  
“Thank goodness.”

I shake my head and walk over to Jax, taking the boys back and saying:  
“I’ll take them to Mom and Dad’s now. Do your club business.”   
As I’m walking to the car I say:  
“Ope, tell Lyla I’ll wear the dress she requested because it’s her wedding, but I am not happy about it.”  
“Perils of being the maid of honour.”  
“Yeah…How that happened, I do not know.”  
“Yeah, I’m not sure either.”

I take the boys to Mom and Dad, then head home. I quickly tidy up, then go into the bathroom to shave my legs before the wedding. I dig out the dress Lyla wants me to wear — it’s the black and silver dress Chloe bought for me and forced me to wear to the party so very long ago, and the matching shoes and jewelry.

When Juice gets home, I’m standing in the doorway of what used to be my office, and then the boys’ room, but is now just empty…crying. He walks up behind me and wraps his arms around me, kissing me on the neck before saying:  
“You got used to having them here, huh?”  
“Yeah.”  
“What can I do?”  
“Make me think about something else.”

I turn around in his arms and kiss him, running my hands over his head.   
“This is wrong. This is way too much hair. Want me to shave it?”  
“That’s how you want to spend the little bit of time we have before we have to get ready for the wedding?”  
“I want to fix your hair and then take a shower with you…during which I totally expect you to fuck me.”  
“Ah…There’s my girl.”  
“To be totally honest, I’m probably going to get you to fuck me at the wedding too.”  
“Unfortunately, that won’t be possible.”  
“I knew it. Y’all are up to something tonight. I saw the guest list. You’re taking out the Russians, aren’t you? Using the wedding as a cover. That’s why it’s on the reservation. The sheriffs have no jurisdiction.”  
“How do you do that?”  
“Babe…This is what I do for a living. I am a private investigator who willfully ignores the criminal activities happening under her goddamn nose. I don’t know the next play though…Take out the Russians, take their guns…that makes sense, they tried to take Jax out in Stockton…But what’s next? Who’s the next logical partner?”

Juice doesn’t say anything for a minute and then he says:  
“I can’t tell you, love.”  
“I’m not asking you to. I’m thinking. Give me a minute.”  
“Okay. I’ll just wait for that beautiful brain to work.”  
“A cartel? It has to be a cartel. No-one else is big enough or powerful enough to handle the Russians when they inevitably come after you again. But Jesus…getting into bed with a cartel? That’s putting everyone at risk. They go after women and families too, not just club members….But which cartel? Has to be one that controls part of the border…Probably in Arizona since the border there is mostly just desert…Galindo? Did you get into bed with the fucking Galindo cartel?”  
“How the fuck did you do that?”  
“I just did a case involving the Galindo cartel. They took out three of our field agents before we figured it out.”  
“You don’t work in the field, right babe?”  
“No. Clarence protects me. I work from home, all my information is blacked out on the servers, my IDs are scrambled, and my signal gets bounced around the globe.”  
“Good.”  
“You know there’s no way you’re just running guns for the Galindo cartel, right? Like…no way. Everything with them is a two-way street. You’re running guns from the IRA to Galindo, and cocaine from Galindo to the Mayans.”  
“Not that I know of. We haven’t voted on drugs.”  
“There will be a vote. I guarantee it. There’s no way they are taking guns without making you guys mule for them. That’s not the way they work.”  
“I won’t vote for that.”  
“You should.”  
“Why? What do you know that I don’t?”  
“Lots, babe.”  
“Seriously, V.”  
“I need to talk to Clay first. I should share my intel with the President, don’t you think? I will fill you in after, baby. I promise.”  
“Are we okay for tonight, do you think?”  
“I need you to walk me through your plan. Clearly you are taking out the Russians at the wedding, but some of you must be leaving the reservation in order to get to their warehouse and take the guns. So how?…Unser. Of course. He still has access to some of the rental vans. So who is leaving the reservation?”

He won’t look at me, so I say:  
“So…you. They’ll have guys at the warehouse. You’ll have to kill them. Hang on. There’s something you should see.”

I walk away from him and go over to my filing cabinet. I flip through my files and find the one I assembled on Lincoln Potter, then I sit on the bed and flip through it until I get to the page I’m looking for. I hand Juice the file and say:  
“Here.”  
He reads and says:  
“There’s an FBI agent embedded in with the Russians?”  
“Yes. And considering his purpose is to tie the Sons with the Russian guns, my guess is he’ll be at the warehouse tonight. Kill him first.”  
“Yes, ma’am.”  
“Be careful, my love. Stay alive. Come home to me.”  
“You know things about the Galindo cartel?”  
“As I said, I should talk to Clay first. I will fill you in before you need to know any of these things. I promise.”  
“Who is this file on? Who is Lincoln Potter?”  
“The special prosecutor that’s in town. He made Roosevelt suspicious, and Roosevelt is a talker, so I got suspicious, so I started digging.”

I take the file from him and put it back in my filing cabinet, then turn and look at him.  
“Potter was digging into club members. He stopped at you. Made me think he found what he was looking for, so I dug into you.”  
“And what did you find?”  
“That your father is black. Which I’m sure is what Potter found.”  
“Yeah. I don’t know him, but yeah…”  
“If Potter has brains, he will give your file to Roosevelt and force him to use this information to try to get you to rat out the club for current crimes, which once you are muling drugs would include getting a sample of said drugs. He’ll tell you that the club will kick you out because of your father.”  
“They will.”  
“No, they won’t, babe. I read the bylaws. What does your birth certificate say?”  
“You mean you don’t already know?”  
“Of course I do. I want you to say it.”  
“It says ‘Latino’.”  
“Exactly. The bylaws go off of birth certificate ethnicity, not parental ethnicity. You are fine. Tell Roosevelt as much when he comes for you. Don’t let him scare you into ratting.”

He just stares at me for a minute, then grabs my face and kisses me before saying:  
“I love you. I love your brain. I would have been scared. I would have done what he wanted in order to keep my family.”  
“I know, babe. It’s okay. This is what I do. I dig for information, put puzzles together, and try to think like the person I’m studying. I love you. I will always do whatever it takes to protect you and your club. I know that they are your family.”


	19. Nineteen

He kisses me again and I run my hands along his stomach under his shirt. I pull away from his mouth to say:  
“Are you seriously more muscular now than when you went to prison?”  
“Yeah. Jax is too. I’m sure you’ll notice later when you dance with him at the wedding.”  
“Let’s not talk about Jax right now.”  
I pull his shirt off and bite my lip when I see him. His abs are even more well defined than they were, his pecs are larger, and his arms are super well defined.  
“I’m sorry…Do you have an ounce of fat on you?”  
“Do you?”  
“Yes. Thighs, boobs, ass…”  
“All the bits that are supposed to be soft.”  
“God, you’re gorgeous, Juice.”  
I undo his belt and pants, shoving them down his legs with his boxers. He steps out of them and reaches for the hem of my shirt so he can pull it off. When he sees my red lace bra he groans and leans down to bite my nipples through the fabric as he undoes it.

Once he moves his mouth off of me, I drop to my knees in front of him and say:  
“Before I put this beautiful cock in my mouth, is there any reason why we should be using a condom?”  
“No. You’re safe.”  
“Good.”  
I lick around the head of his cock before flicking my tongue over the tip and taking it all in my mouth. I grab his asscheeks with both hands and dig my fingertips in, hard enough to leave bruises, while I move my mouth and tongue along his cock. When he moans and starts pumping his hips I speed up my movements and start humming in my throat. He tries to pull out as he says:  
“I’m going to come, baby.”  
I hold his asscheeks tighter and keep up my movements, moaning around his cock. When he comes down my throat, I swallow and clean him off before releasing him from my mouth.  
“God…I had dreams about that when I was inside. Every time I jerked off I thought about your mouth and how I couldn’t wait to fuck it.”  
“I had dreams about your cock in my mouth too. I must say, you don’t disappoint.”

He kisses me as he undoes my pants and shoves them and my panties down my legs. I step out of them and he picks me up and throws me onto the bed, climbing up after me and settling between my legs. He nibbles on my inner thighs before moving up and licking along my slit, dipping his tongue into my entrance before flicking his tongue over my clit. A few strokes in I’m mewling at him and he takes my clit into his mouth and gently sucks on it while flicking his tongue over it. I come whimpering his name and he moves up the bed to kiss me.  
“You taste delicious, V. Like candy.”

He puts one of my legs on his shoulder and slides his cock into me. I moan as he hits just the right spot and he rotates his hips as he thrusts deeper. I gasp and say:  
“Juice…You feel so good. Your cock feels so good in me.”  
“I’m not going to last much longer, V. It’s been too long.”  
“I’m good, baby. We have plenty of time for marathon love-making.”  
He reaches down and rubs tight circles on my clit, pressing hard. I feel my orgasm building and almost reaching the tipping point, so I say:  
“Come with me, baby.”  
I tighten my pelvic muscles around him and we both come moaning each other’s name. I put my leg down and pull him to me so I can kiss him. Once we pull apart, I say:  
“I love you. I missed you…So much.”  
“God, Veronica. You have no idea how much I love you. It’s like a stupidly insane amount.”

“We should go shower and get ready for the wedding.”  
“Do we have a gift?”  
“Of course we have a gift. Geez. It’s wrapped and at Opie’s already. It’s too big to take with us.”  
“What did we get them?”  
“A new bed. I got it delivered today.”  
“A new bed?”  
“It’s what Lyla wanted. Their old bed was one that Donna picked out, and Opie’s been a little weird about fucking Lyla in it. She said she’s sick of fucking on the floor.”  
“But he had no issue fucking you in our bed.”  
“Babe…It didn’t happen again.”  
“Did you like it?”  
“Well, that’s a loaded fucking question.”  
“Please…V.”  
“I liked him hurting me. It was just enough pain, and then he fucked me so hard…yeah. I liked it. It wasn’t like being with you, Juice. I don’t love him. I don’t even like him most of the time, and I’m not attracted to him…But I really liked the pain.”  
“Is that something you want me to do? To hurt you?”  
“I would like to try at some point if you’re comfortable with it. I have no interest in forcing you to do something that makes you uncomfortable or unhappy.”  
“Get up.”

I get up, off the bed and he says:  
“Bend over. Put your hands on the bed in front of you.”  
I do as he says, sticking my ass up in the air. He rubs my asscheeks and then suddenly spanks me. I moan and say:  
“More, baby. Please.”  
I gasp as he spanks the other asscheek, harder than the first.   
“Still good, V?”  
“Yes. More. Make it so I can’t sit down tonight.”  
He spanks me repeatedly, each one slightly harder than the last. The last couple of spanks bring tears to my eyes and by the time he slams his cock into me I’m gasping and crying. He reaches up and pulls my hair as he fucks me. I come just before I feel him release deep inside of me. When he pulls out he kisses my spine and then pulls me up so I’m standing. 

He brushes my hair out of my face and says:  
“You’re crying baby. I’m sorry. Was it too much?”  
“No. I’m good. It was good. Are you okay? You didn’t have to…”  
“I wanted to. I enjoyed that.”  
“Yeah? Let out a little of your frustration did you?”  
“No. That was all about your pleasure, baby.”  
I kiss him and say:  
“Let’s go shower, my love.”  
“Okay.”

I hear the front door open and close and Lyla says:  
“Ronnie? You ready to get ready?”  
“Sorry, love. We got side-tracked. We’re just about to go shower.”  
“You in the bedroom?”  
“Yes, and we’re naked, so you know, head’s up.”  
“I’ve seen naked people before.”  
She walks in the room and says:  
“Holy shit. You are both fucking gorgeous. I’ve never been self-conscious about my body, but my soon-to-be husband has fucked that?”  
“Oh shut up. You are absolutely perfect. I’ve seen you naked.”  
Juice says:  
“So have I. I agree with Veronica’s assessment.”

Lyla sits down on the bed and says:  
“Go shower.”  
“Yes, ma’am.”

We quickly go shower and go back to the bedroom to get dressed. Once I have my dress on, Juice says:  
“I remember this dress…I look forward to being the one to take it off of you tonight.”  
“You say that like someone else took it off last time. Casey undid it, saw my scar and freaked. That’s it. That’s the extent of what happened. I changed into my pyjamas after I kicked him out of the room.”  
“So when they were all upstairs with you?”  
“You mean after Mac picked the lock on my bedroom door? Yeah, I was in my pyjamas.”

Lyla says:  
“Juice, I hate to be a pain, but get out so Ronnie and I can get ready. We’re going to drive together. You go on ahead.”

He looks at me and I laugh and say:  
“Why are you checking with me? Listen to the bride. Do you have a death wish?”  
“Okay, Okay. I’m going.”

He kisses me and leaves the room.


	20. Twenty

Once the ceremony is over and the party starts, Juice grabs me and pulls me onto the dance floor. As we’re dancing he says:  
“I have to leave in a few minutes. How’s your ass?”  
“Sore. Please be careful, babe.”  
“Always. I’ll meet you at home later, okay? I promise.”  
“You’d better, because I swear to God, Juan Carlos Ortiz, if you leave me this soon after I got you back I will figure out a way to resurrect you just to kick your ass.”  
“Yes, ma’am.”  
I tighten my arms around his neck and kiss him as the song finishes and he says:  
“I have to go, baby.”  
“Okay.”

I walk off the dance floor towards the tables and sit down next to Clay.   
“Hi, baby. He’ll be okay.”  
I quietly say:  
“I know. Can I come to the house tomorrow? I’ve discovered a few things that will be of interest to you.”  
“During cases?”  
“Yeah. Some stuff I may have left out of my completed work files…Stuff you need to know before you finalize everything with the cartel.”  
“How did you know that?”  
“I figured it out. There’s no way you’re continuing your relationship with the Russians after what they did to Jax, and the cartel is the only game with enough power to scare the Russians off when they come for you again. I’m not interested in blowing anything up, Clay. I’m trying to help. Honestly. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt the club.”  
“I know, that’s why you gave those letters to Gemma instead of Jax.”  
“Exactly.”  
“You read them though, right?”  
“Yes. But quite frankly, Clay, I don’t give a shit what happened with JT. I only care about keeping Juice and Jax alive and out of prison.”  
“Okay. Come over in the morning. Have you told Juice anything?”  
“Just that one of those Russians that will be at the warehouse tonight is an FBI agent.”  
“FBI…why?”  
“To tie the Sons with the guns. I told Juice he should kill the agent first.”  
“Good advice. Good girl.”

Before I can say anything else, a caramel coloured hand is in front of me.  
“Come dance with me, V.”  
“Eli. I’m not sure I’m allowed to dance with a Mayan.”  
“We’re at the same wedding. I think it’ll be okay.”  
I look at Clay and he nods, so I stand up and take Eli’s hand. As we walk onto the dance floor, he says:  
“I’ve missed you, V.”  
“Whose fault is that? Who patched into a rival club?”  
“Veronica…”  
“Hey, if being a Mayan makes you happy, Eli, go for it. But you don’t get to complain at me that you miss me when it’s your fault we can’t hang out. I see Felix all the time.”  
“I don’t.”  
“I know. He doesn’t want to get involved. He’s got a good life right now.”  
He presses the side of his face into mine and says:  
“Are you happy, V?”  
“Yes. Are you?”  
“Yes. When we were kids…Did you get loved enough?”  
“What’s enough? How about you?”  
“Same answer. You ever think maybe we’re just fucked up and doomed to live these crazy, violent, hectic lives because we didn’t get hugged enough as kids?”  
“Maybe. But Abuelita hugged us lots…Like, excessively so.”  
“But seriously folks…We both started breaking the law at like, twelve.”  
“Uh yeah, but only one of us ever got caught.”  
“You were always sneaky.”  
“I had everyone convinced I was an angel.”  
He laughs and says:  
“You had no-one convinced you were an angel. Especially once you started acting out sexually too. You and Lilly were a hell of a pair…trading guys back and forth. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone in Neptune that fucked one of you but not the other.”  
“Leo never fucked Lilly.”  
“Right…he hated her.”  
“Yeah…oh, and Lamb never fucked me.”  
“I forgot Lilly fucked him. Why did she do that again?”  
“She was trying to get out of a speeding ticket. He gave her the ticket anyways.”  
“He always was a bit of a dick.”  
“Understatement of the fucking century.”  
“I think our grace period is up. I should say…The fact that I’m a Mayan doesn’t change how much I love you. I’m still here if you need anything.”  
“Back at you. I do love you, Eli. I’ve loved you since we were seven. A little thing like rival gangs isn’t going to change that.”  
I kiss his cheek before I’m pulled out of his arms.

“How many times do I have to tell you that you are mine?”  
“A bunch, apparently…Or you could just be less possessive of someone else’s old lady.”  
“Dance with me. Unless your feet are tired.”  
“Oh, my feet are definitely tired, but my ass hurts too much to sit down.”  
“On his wedding day?”  
“Shhh…It was Juice. He got a little over-eager with the force required. He’ll learn.”

As we dance I run my hands over his hair, gently pulling with my fingertips.  
“I like this, by the way.”  
“Dancing with me, or the shorter hair?”  
“Both. I was talking about the hair, but definitely both.”  
“I’m going to kiss you.”  
“In front of everyone? The hell you are.”  
“No-one cares.”  
“Juice would care.”  
“He’s not here, is he?”  
“No. He’s not. But him not being here doesn’t change the fact that despite your constant statements to the contrary, I am his.”  
“I love you.”  
“I love you. Go deal with your Russian problem.”  
“Did he tell you?”  
“No. I figured it out.”  
“Brilliant girl.”  
I softly kiss him and say:  
“Stay alive.”  
“I promised I would.”

As he walks away, I walk over to Lyla and hug her, kissing her on the cheek before I say:  
“I’m going to go home. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”  
“Yeah. Are you okay, V?”  
“Just tired. I’ve been on tiny people time. I’m not used to being up so late.”  
“Fair. Are you okay without them?”  
“No. But I will be. Don’t worry about me. Have fun. Enjoy your gift, it was delivered earlier. It’s all set up, complete with new bedding…And some reading material and toys in the top drawer on your side…In case you decide you want to give Opie’s less vanilla predilections a shot.”  
“Thank you. I love you.”  
“I love you.”

I walk over to the table where most of the guys are sitting and I kiss each of them on the cheek before saying:  
“I’m going home. Have fun.”  
Chibs says:  
“Will you be okay on your own, darlin’?”  
“Of course. Besides, the entire sheriff’s department is sitting right outside the entrance to this reservation. You really think Roosevelt will let me drive home without an escort?”  
“Fair point.”  
I walk around the table so I’m next to Opie, then I grab his hair, pulling back on it roughly so he’s looking up at me. Then I kiss him and say:  
“I have been trying to convince Lyla to let you play, hopefully, she agrees.”  
“What about you?”  
“Juice decided he wanted to try. He needs practice, but I think he can handle it.”  
“Is that why you’ve barely been sitting down all night?”  
“Yeah…Slightly too much pain. It’s fine. He’ll get it.”  
“I could give him lessons.”  
“Yeah…I don’t think he would appreciate the suggestion. Just stay out of it.”

I walk out to where my car is and drive off the reservation. When I get to the sheriff’s cars, Roosevelt stops me.  
“It’s just me, sheriff.”  
“Why are you leaving the party so early?”  
“I’m tired. I was up all night last night with Thomas.”  
“Where’s your boyfriend?”  
“He brought his bike. He’s staying longer.”  
“And passing up the opportunity to go home and fuck you?”  
“He’s already fucked me twice since he’s been home. I think a few hours before the next round won’t hurt anyone. Can I go home please?”  
“Yeah. I’ll follow you.”  
“I figured you would.”

When I get home I change into pyjamas and lie down on the couch to watch a movie. I must fall asleep, because the next thing I know, I’m being picked up and carried into the bedroom.  
“You’re home. And mostly naked, and damp. You’ve been home awhile.”  
“Just long enough to shower, love.”  
He lays me down on the bed then lies down next to me, covering us with the blankets and pulling me into his arms. I take a deep breath and snuggle into his chest.  
“I love having you home.”  
“I love being able to hold you. Go back to sleep, Veronica.”  
“Did everything go okay?”  
“Yes, dear. You were right. The FBI agent was there. Go back to sleep.”


	21. Twenty-One

When I wake up in the morning, he’s sound asleep on his back next to me. I carefully get out of bed so I don’t wake him up and take off my pyjamas before climbing back into bed and straddling him. I gently run my fingers down his chest, tracing his muscles with my fingertips before following with my tongue. He moans and says:  
“Wow…You controlled yourself for multiple years. You wanted to do that our very first time together.”  
“To be fair, we were apart most of those years…I don’t actually have that much self-control.”

He laughs and runs his hands up my thighs and over my hips to my waist.  
“I’m sure when I saw you last you were wearing pyjamas.”  
“And now I’m not…Magic.”  
“I feel overdressed.”  
“You are definitely overdressed.”  
“You should do something about that.”  
“Oh, I should, should I?”  
“Don’t be difficult.”  
“Difficult is my middle name, love.”  
“I believe that.”

I lean forward and kiss him before moving down his body and pulling his pants down. I move back up his body and line him up with my entrance before sinking down on him. We both moan when he’s all the way in, and when he sits up and changes the angle I gasp. We slowly move together, kissing and gently touching each other the whole time. We both orgasm together a while later, both slick with sweat. My phone rings on the bedside table after we finish but before we separate and he reaches for it. He rolls his eyes and answers it on speaker.  
“Jax, what do you want?”  
“I called Veronica.”  
“Yes, but she’s currently impaled on my cock and couldn’t reach the phone. What do you want?”  
“You are so lucky I don’t have my phone on speaker. I don’t think Keith and Alicia would have wanted to hear that.”  
I start laughing and say:  
“Might have given Dad a heart attack.”  
“Can you come over? Abel is freaking out. He won’t come home with me.”  
“Yeah. I’ll be right there.”  
Juice hangs up and sighs before saying:  
“I was hoping to have longer with you this morning.”  
“Abel doesn’t do well with change. You can’t blame him after everything he’s been through. Plus, I have to go see Clay this morning anyways.”  
“I don’t blame Abel. I just think his father should be able to handle him.”  
“Why do you think that? Jax hasn’t exactly been an active parent in Abel’s life so far.”  
“I guess that’s true.”

I wrap my arms around his neck and gently run my nails over his head as I kiss him.  
“I love you…So much more than anyone else. You know that, right?”  
“Are you mine, Veronica?”  
“Yes.”  
“Forever?”  
“Yes. I’m not going anywhere, babe.”  
“Marry me.”  
“Slow your roll there, buddy. How about we live together for a while and make sure we don’t want to kill each other in a month?”  
“Oh, see…I always want to kill you.”  
I laugh and say:  
“Funny boy.”

I run my hands over his hair and down onto his cheeks and kiss him.  
“Veronica…baby. Why are you crying?”  
“I just love you.”  
“I love you. But now you have to go to Jax.”  
“Technically I’m going to Abel.”  
“Fair.”  
“Come with me. Dad would love to see you.”  
“Yeah. Okay. Let’s go shower.”  
“You go shower, I’ll get my files together for Clay, and then I’ll shower. If we shower, we’ll get side-tracked.”  
“Fine, be zero fun.”  
“I will.”

I climb off his lap and walk over to my filing cabinet.  
“Stop staring at me and go shower.”  
“I bruised you.”  
“Yup.”  
“Are you okay?”  
“Yeah, baby. I’m good.”  
I open my filing cabinet and pull out my files on the RICO case, the Galindo cartel, and Lincoln Potter. I put the files in my purse and then walk into the bathroom. Juice is just getting in the shower, so I walk in with him.  
“You’re slow.”  
“Uh-huh.”  
We shower and then get dressed.  
“Are you taking your car so you can go to Clay’s after, or can we go together?”  
“I have to go to Clay’s, so I guess I’m taking my car.”  
“It’s been so long since you’ve been on my bike.”  
“Well, maybe we can go for a ride later?”  
“Yeah. I’d like that.”  
I kiss him and get in the car. 

When I get to Dad’s, Juice is already there. I walk into the house and immediately have Abel hugging my legs.  
“Hi, buddy. What’s wrong?”  
“Want you, not Daddy.”  
I sigh and pick him up, hugging him to me as I put my purse down and sit on the stairs.  
“Abel…We talked about this. You knew Daddy was coming home. You knew you’d be staying with him.”  
“No.”  
“Abel…You’re still my best guy. You know that. But Daddy needs you. He’ll be lonely without you. Plus…he needs your help with Tommy. You know all the tricks. The best songs to calm Tommy down. Which books Tommy likes read to him. Daddy’s going to need your help. He doesn’t know anything.”  
“I want my stuff.”  
“Kiddo, Uncle Opie and I moved all your stuff to Daddy’s house. Your room is set up just how you like it. And I may have left a present for you in there.”  
“What kind of present?”  
“You have to go to Daddy’s house to see.”  
“Can you come with us?”  
“No. Because I have to go see Grandpa. But…I will come over after that okay? To make sure that everything is right and you figured out your present, okay?”  
I’m fighting tears at this point, my eyes filling up as quickly as I can blink them back.  
“Okay, Aunty Ronnie.”  
“You go with Daddy and Tommy, okay? I’ll see you later.”  
He climbs off my lap and takes Jax’s hand as they walk out of the house. I start crying, holding a hand against my stomach and Alicia comes over and sits on the stair next to me with her arms wrapped around me.  
“It’s okay, my darling. Let it out.”  
“Is it going to get easier, Mom? I keep expecting it to get easier, but it just keeps hurting more.”  
“I don’t know, my love.”  
“I hate her for causing this.”  
“I know. I do too.”  
“Being shot in the head would have been easier.”  
“Dying’s easy. Living is hard.”  
“Yeah, it fucking is.”

I take a few deep breaths and shake my head.  
“Alright. That’s a long enough pity party. I have to go see Clay.”  
“You are allowed to grieve this loss. You know that, right?”  
“I lost it when I was seventeen, Mom. Grieving the loss doesn’t help me move past it. I can’t have kids. I will never know what it feels like to carry another life inside of me. I don’t know if I even wanted kids…I’m grieving the loss of an abstract concept. It feels stupid and just fucking self-pitying. I feel like I should be tougher than this.”  
“You are the toughest person I know, baby. You got shot in the abdomen and walked your boyfriend through packing the wound so you didn’t bleed to death. You went through your recovery with no pain medication because you didn’t want to risk becoming an addict like Lianne. You did that while also dealing with a heartbreak that had you crying to the point of hyperventilating on a near-constant basis. You left your family and friends because you needed a new start. You built a life for yourself without any help from us. And you gave up that life in a split second to help someone else. Regardless of your reason, you brought Abel home to his family. During your time away, not one but two people you loved died. You flew home for Abuelita’s funeral and went by yourself because Weevil and Felix were both in prison and you didn’t tell us. You grieved the loss of a woman who had been the closest thing you had to a Mother for the majority of your life…and you grieved that loss alone. Then you went back to Belfast and two months later had to come back here to bury Donna. You convinced Jax and Gemma to let Tara go, knowing that you were losing your access to those boys. Then you stepped up to take care of those kids after Tara died, knowing giving them back to their father would tear your heart out. You are allowed to hurt. You are allowed to grieve.”

She takes a breath and says:  
“And it is okay to seek out physical pain in a safe manner because the physical pain is easier to cope with than the emotional and mental pain. And it is okay to get carried away with that and make a mistake. It is okay. Stop punishing yourself for making a mistake with Opie. You needed the pain because the physical pain is something finite that can be dealt with…the grief seems to fucking go on forever.”

I lean my head against her shoulder and look towards the living room. Dad and Wayne are both crying but trying to hide it, but Juice is looking at me with tears streaming down his face. 

I hug Alicia and say:  
“I love you, Mom.”  
“I love you, baby girl.”  
I stand up and walk over to Juice, kissing him softly before I say:  
“I’m okay. Don’t cry.”  
I turn around and look at Dad and Wayne and say:  
“That goes for you too, sentimental old men.”


	22. Twenty-Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A reasonable Clay who appreciates the input of people smarter than him? Say it ain't so.

I take a deep breath and say:  
“I need to go see Clay.”  
I kiss Juice again and say:  
“I’ll see you at home later.”  
“Okay, babe.”

I grab my purse and walk out of the house.

When I get to Gemma and Clay’s I knock on the door and walk in like usual. Clay is sitting at the table drinking coffee.  
“Hey, baby.”  
“Hi.”  
“Grab yourself a cup of coffee and come share the information you have.”  
I get myself coffee and sit at the table, closing my eyes as I take my first sip.  
“I always forget how much you love coffee.”  
“It may be my favourite thing, and Gemma makes the best I’ve tasted.”

I pull the files out of my purse and say:  
“Let’s start with Lincoln Potter. He’s a special prosecutor who is currently in town. He’s been keeping Roosevelt out of the loop and his office has some seriously high-tech security, so it made me curious. I compiled a file on him, it has everything. You’re welcome to keep it so you can read it. Very high-level information: he hates people, he really hates criminals, and he’s leading a task force that’s trying to assemble a RICO case.”

I hand him the file on Lincoln. And grab the RICO file.  
“The RICO case is slim right now. They know about the IRA and you guys thanks to fucking Stahl, everything else is patchy. But they are getting there. They are going to come after club members to get their past crimes and current crimes. Potter has been looking into club members and cases surrounding the club…Donna’s death, Luann’s death, etc. I’m pretty sure I know what his plays are going to be, and I already fucked one up for him…he doesn’t know it yet though.”  
“Who do you think he’ll go for?”  
“Otto and Juice. Otto for past crimes, Juice for current.”  
“How?”  
“He’s going to tell Otto that Luann was found with Bobby’s semen inside her. At least, that’s how I’d play it. Otto will lose his shit. Turn on Bobby and the club because he will think that the club is protecting Bobby.”  
“And Juice?”  
“He found out Juice’s father is black. If he’s as devious as I think he is, he’ll give Juice’s file to Roosevelt and make Roosevelt convince Juice that the club will kick him out if they find out. Offer to keep the information quiet if he rats. Juice doesn’t do well on his own, and the club is his family. He would flip if he thought that the club would kick him out otherwise.”  
“The bylaws.”  
“I looked at the bylaws. They specifically say birth certificate ethnicity. Juice’s says Latino.”  
“Then he’s fine.”  
“That’s what I told him. I told him to tell Roosevelt to go fuck himself if he approaches him.”  
“A RICO case is still a fucking issue.”  
“Less than you might think, actually. But I’ll get to that. First, let’s talk cartel.”

He looks at me and shakes his head.  
“How? How do you get all this information?”  
“Being a private investigator gets me access to certain systems, being Clarence’s employee gets me access to Interpol and Mossad systems — don’t ask me, I don’t know why we have it, I don’t question it. And my friend Mac is a computer genius with slightly criminal tendencies. She got me unfettered access to the rest…CIA, FBI, etc. Also, I’m really good at puzzles and I don’t like to be in the dark.”  
“So…the cartel?”  
“Oh, yeah… I know you’re running IRA guns to the cartel. But the Galindo cartel doesn’t make deals that only run one way, so you must have agreed to the Sons muling coke up to the Mayans and their Northern Cali pipeline. Which means you need to hold a vote on it, and I don’t think you have the votes. I want to help you get the votes.”  
“Why?”  
“Because if SAMCRO votes no on muling the cartel drugs, the cartel is going to wipe SAMCRO out. Also, we need the cartel…At least for now.”  
“Why?”  
“Romeo and Luis are CIA. They can kill the RICO case.”  
“They’re what?!”  
“Breathe. This helps you. The CIA needs this deal to happen. They need SAMCRO, which means you can get them to kill the RICO case. If SAMCRO goes down, the deal falls apart.”  
“But then we’re tied to the cartel forever. And the IRA.”  
“Not necessarily.”  
“You have a plan?”  
“Yeah. A rough one, but we have time to iron it out. The deal needs to proceed as planned for now, so the IRA and Mayans need to stay happy, and SAMCRO needs to vote in the drugs.”  
“What is it?”  
“Lin has a gun pipeline that rivals the IRA. Cut the IRA out, use Lin. As for the muling portion, tag the One-Niners and the Mayans. They can easily work together to transport guns and drugs, plus it expands Galindo’s distribution. The One-Niners do have a boss though. His name’s Pope. He’s a smart businessman. Keep on his good side and he could be a useful partner. Piss him off though, and people have the tendency to end up dead.”  
“Baby…do you want a job?”  
“No. I want to be included. And I want the men I love to stay breathing and not in prison. Oh…and by the way, the Russians are going to hit back, hard, and soon most likely. If I were them, I’d go after the ammo suppliers and wait for SAMCRO to walk into a trap.”  
“You want a seat at the table?”  
“I don’t ride, I can’t vote. I’d like to be in the room where it happens though.”  
“You’ve got it, baby. But you give your opinion and then sit back and let the votes happen as they happen. And you respect how fucking rare this is.”  
“I understand how rare it is. You don’t have the votes for the drugs.”  
“Give me a breakdown.”  
“Jax, Juice, Bobby, Piney, Opie, Miles, Chibs, and most likely Kozik will vote no. You will have Tig, Happy, and maybe Kozik.”  
“How do we convince them?”  
“You tell Jax the truth. Also, you talk to him about you stepping down, which, let’s face it, you’re going to have to soon because of your hands. If Jax knows about the RICO case and that the cartel can kill it, he’ll vote yes. Juice is easy, I can change his vote right fucking quick. Miles will vote the way Opie does. If Jax offers Ope VP when you step down, Ope will vote with Jax. There’s no winning Bobby on this. He thinks you are pushing him away, so he’s doing the exact fucking opposite of what you want him to. Piney won’t vote yes to drugs. Kozik is an ex-junkie, I wouldn’t expect him to vote yes, but he might stand with his president and VP. Chibs will vote no, there’s nothing we can do there, he’ll think the risk is too high.”  
“So if we can convince guys to vote yes, who do we have?”  
“You, Jax, Ope, Miles, Juice, Tig, Happy…Possibly Kozik. It’s a majority. It’ll pass.”  
“What’s your plan for the rest of the day?”  
“Abel’s having a hard time adjusting to Jax being back. I was going to go over there for a bit, then home.”  
“Take the files, tell Jax what you just told me. All of it.”  
“Okay.”

I pick up the files and put them in my purse before finishing my coffee.   
“Veronica…”  
“Yes, Clay?”  
“Do you think I need to give up the presidency willingly before I can’t ride anymore?”  
“I think a peaceful transition of power would be ideal. You and Jax are in a good place right now. I think this is a good time for that transition to happen…Don’t you?”  
“Yeah. You’re probably right. Tell him to come over for dinner later.”  
“Yes, sir.”

I stand up and kiss Clay’s cheek before putting my coffee cup in the sink and leaving the house.


	23. Twenty-Three

When I get to Jax’s house I see his bike and Juice’s bike in the driveway. I walk into the house and find both of them in the living room. Juice is sitting on the couch crying and Jax is kneeling in front of him with his hand on the back of Juice’s head and his forehead resting on the top of Juice’s head. As I watch, Jax moves his head and kisses the top of Juice’s head before standing up and saying:  
“She’ll be okay. We’ll help her with her grief.”  
“You’d better not be talking about me. I don’t need help with my grief, I need to focus on other things.”  
“Veronica…”  
“No. I am grieving for an abstract concept. I don’t need help with that, I need to ignore it until it goes away.”  
“You broke down this morning.”  
“It happens sometimes. I’m good now.”

I walk over to the couch, squeezing Jax’s fingers on my way by, and kneel in front of Juice.  
“Look at me, love.”  
He looks up at me and I wipe his tears away with my thumbs.  
“I am okay.”  
“I never even thought about what you lost. I was just so happy you were alive. I am so happy you’re alive…I never even thought about the fact that you can’t have kids.”  
“Regretting that proposal this morning, huh?”  
“What? No. Why would you even think that? You think I’d leave you because you can’t have kids?”  
“It’s a reasonable reason to leave someone.”  
“You must be out of your goddamned mind if you think for even one second that I would leave you because you can’t have kids. I love you more than anything. I have loved you since the moment I met you, and that was cemented after I brought you dinner when I saw that the only thing you ate was the chocolate cake. You’re ridiculous, amazing, infuriating, brilliant, and absolutely the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”

I don’t say anything, so he continues:  
“I love that the first thing out of your mouth to me was snarky. I love that you picked on me about my name instead of just accepting it. I love that you were disappointed in your best friend’s growth as a human because she didn’t have another guy to fuck when she dumped Logan. I love that you wanted me so badly you sighed dejectedly when you figured out I was SAMCRO because you were afraid I wouldn’t want you if I knew you had been with Jax. I love that you called your Dad and begged him to arrest you so you didn’t have to be in the middle of a fight between your friends. I love that all you ever seem to eat is junk food, but you don’t gain a fucking ounce. I love that you sing in the shower and you’re actually good. I love that your midget self shaves your legs with one foot in the fucking sink instead of in the shower like a normal person. And I love that from the moment I met you I felt like I belonged somewhere. Like I have a home.”

I brush tears from my eyes and lean in to kiss him.  
“I have a list too, but can I share it at home later?”  
“Yeah. I accept this.”  
“I love you.”  
“I love you. And the proposal stands, so you know, give me an answer at some point.”  
“Yeah, I’ll get right on that…Lunatic.”  
“I’m going to go home. Let you hang out with the boys and talk to Jax about whatever you and Clay just talked about.”  
“Thanks, babe. I’ll be home in a bit. Think you could move my desk back into the second bedroom now that the boys aren’t in there?”  
“I can do that. It’s a big desk. How did you move it before?”  
“Opie. Basically every piece of furniture that’s been assembled or moved in our house has had Opie’s hands all over it.”  
“Well…I guess it’s good to know he’s useful when he’s not fucking or sexually assaulting my old lady.”

Jax says:  
“Wait? What? Sexually assaulting?”  
“I’ll explain after. It’s fine. I’m fine.”  
Juice says:  
“On that note. I’m leaving.”  
“Troublemaker.”  
He grins and winks at me before quickly standing up and leaving the house.  
“Ugh. Asshole.”

I go to stand up, but Jax says:  
“Don’t. Please…I need you.”  
“Jax.”  
“Please, Ronnie.”  
“You heard that he proposed this morning. I can’t fuck you now.”  
“You haven’t said yes yet.”  
“Yet, Jackson. I am going to say yes.”  
“He would be okay with this.”  
“If you really thought so you would have brought it up while he was here, not waited for the second the door closed behind him.”

I stand up and step towards him, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him closer to me before kissing him. I run my fingers through his hair and gently pull on the ends. He moans against my mouth and deepens the kiss, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing close to me. 

I pull away and say:  
“Where are the boys?”  
“Napping…Finally napping. Please, Ronnie. Please.”  
“I love you.”  
“I love you. I missed you so much. I missed being able to touch you.”  
“Kissing, love. That’s all I can give you.”  
“Okay. I’ll take what I can get.”

He picks me up and walks over to the couch, sitting down with me straddling his lap.  
“Why like this?”  
“Because you move a lot when we kiss.”  
“You’re infuriating, you know that?”  
“Hey, I was in prison for fourteen months. I will take what I can get.”  
“You have a hand.”  
“Oh, I did plenty of that in prison…usually thinking about how good your mouth felt or how good your pussy felt.”  
“Dirty old man.”  
“Did you fantasize about me while I was gone?”  
“I’m not telling you. You’ll use my fantasies against me.”  
“What? Me? Never. Tell me, babe.”  
“My most common fantasies include both you and Juice.”  
“Really?”  
“Yeah…”  
“Tell me.”  
“Why? They’re just fantasies. They’re never going to happen.”

He leans in and bites my neck before he says:  
“Veronica. Tell me.”  
“In the fantasies that include both of you, you’re sharing me. Both of you are fucking me at once. One of you in my pussy and one in my mouth, or one in my pussy and one in my ass.”  
“And you like the idea of that? Thinking about it gets you off?”  
“Yeah…I like the idea of it. Like…a lot. And yes. Thinking about it gets me off.”  
“What if I said we could make it happen?”  
“I’d say that you’re insane because it’s never going to happen.”  
“Why?”  
“Because you’re both exceptionally possessive? You more than him, of course.”  
“I can talk to him. We can make it happen for you.”  
“It’s just a fantasy. It doesn’t have to be a reality.”  
“This is why you struck me as a woman who had never been satisfied. Because you won’t let go and give in.”  
“I let go and gave in with Opie and it was a fucking mistake.”  
“Did you enjoy yourself with Opie?”  
“Yes.”  
“Then it wasn’t a mistake.”  
“I want you, Jax.”  
“It’s your call, baby. Your choice. I’m not going to push.”  
I kiss him and say:  
“I guess you talking to Juice couldn’t hurt.”  
“Good. Can we just kiss for a while now? Then talk business?”  
“We should talk business while the kids are sleeping, love.”  
“Ugh. Fine.”  
“We can stay like this for now if you want.”  
“Yes. Please.”

Over the next ten minutes, I tell him everything I told Clay, plus fill him in on the plan for the transition of power.   
“How did Clay react to you knowing everything?”  
“He told me I can be in the room when you guys are in church. I can give opinions, I just can’t vote.”  
“Seriously? That’s never happened before.”  
“I know.”  
“Did you bring the files for me to read?”  
“Of course I did. They are in my purse.”  
“Good. Are we done talking business now?”  
“Yes.”

I lean in and kiss him before saying:  
“I should go to see Abel.”  
“Or you could keep his Daddy company for a bit longer.”  
“I promised Juice that we could go for a ride today, and if I spend all day sitting on you, that won’t happen.”  
“Fine.”  
I kiss him again and stand up. I take off my shoes and walk down the hall to Abel’s room before lying down on the bed next to him and pulling him into my arms. He snuggles into my chest and says:  
“Ronnie.”  
“Hey, buddy. I told you I’d come to see you.”  
“I don’t like green.”  
“What colour do you like?”  
“Blue.”  
“Well, I think we can probably paint your room.”  
“Thanks.”  
“Did you see your present?”  
“Yes.”  
“Did Daddy show you how to use it?”  
“No.”  
“You didn’t listen to something before your nap?”  
“No.”  
“Okay. Do you want to listen to Mommy reading a book, Mommy singing, Ronnie reading a book, or Ronnie singing?”  
“Mommy singing.”  
“Excellent choice.”   
I get up and put a CD into the CD player and press play. Tara’s voice singing ‘Amazing Grace’ fills the room. I sit back down on the bed and Abel climbs into my lap. We listen for a bit, then I notice Jax in the doorway. I say:  
“Abel, buddy…Aunty Ronnie has to go, but Daddy’s going to listen with you for a while, okay?”  
“Okay. I love you.”  
“I love you, Abel. You are my best guy.”

I put him down on his bed and walk over to Jax. I wipe his tears off his cheeks and kiss him softly.  
“There’s a CD of her reading stories too. And one of me singing, and one of me reading stories. We recorded them when she was pregnant with Thomas.”  
“You guys got really close, didn’t you?”  
“Yes. I loved her.”  
I kiss him again as my phone rings. It’s Juice, so I answer it.  
“Hi, babe. I am just leaving.”  
“That’s good…There’s a guy here with a little girl. He says he knows you.”  
“I’ll be right there.”  
I hang up and get my shoes on before putting the files on the kitchen table. Then I leave the house.

When I walk in my front door two minutes later I stare in shock at the man sitting on my couch.  
“Duncan. What are you doing here?”  
“Veronica. I need you to take Faith. To raise Faith.”  
“What? Why?”  
“I’m dying. Cancer. Doctors can’t do anything.”  
“Why me?”  
“Because you loved Meg. Because you are a good person and not a monster like either of my parents. You aren’t a selfish cunt like Lilly. You’re a grown-up, unlike Logan…Would you like me to continue?”  
“I need to talk to my boyfriend. I can’t just take a child in.”  
“He’s in the bedroom with her. She was tired but was scared to lie down alone. She liked him immediately.”  
“He has that effect on girls. Give me a minute.”

I walk into the bedroom and look at the bed. Juice is lying on his back and Faith is curled up next to him, her small fingers gripping his shirt to make sure he doesn’t leave. She looks like Meg but has Duncan’s brown hair. I walk over to Juice’s side of the bed and sit next to him.  
“He wants us to raise her?”  
“Well, he wants me to raise her. You’re just included by default.”  
“Why?”  
“He’s dying.”  
“I can’t adopt. I’m a felon.”  
“Can’t adopt her anyway. Duncan is her father, but he only has her because he kidnapped her as a baby. Her mother died and her maternal grandparents are abusive fucks.”  
“So how do we?”  
“We make a fake birth certificate and plant a paper trail. It’s above my head, computer-wise, but Mac can do it. We’ll say she was born while I was in Belfast.”  
“What about the pesky detail of you losing your uterus?”  
“So we have to alter my medical records too. I accept this.”  
“Are we doing this, babe?”  
“Your call love.”  
“Yes.”  
“Yes?”  
“Yes. Let’s raise her.”  
“Talk about jumping without a fucking safety net. What if this doesn’t work? What if we’re bad parents?”  
“She needs us. We’ll figure everything else out as we go.”

I lean over and kiss him before saying:  
“Well, as long as we’re jumping into things recklessly…Yes, Juice.”  
He grins one of his giant, whole face smiles and says:  
“Yes? Really, yes?”  
“Yes. Really, yes. I love you. Let’s get married.”


	24. Twenty-Four

When I walk out to the living room to talk to Duncan, he’s gone. All that’s there is a file folder and a note. I pick up the note and it says:  
‘Ronnie, I thought it would be easier for all of us if I just left. I know you’ll take care of her. I knew as soon as I saw him with her that he would agree. CW established a paper trail. He made her biologically Juice’s, so it’s you who has to adopt. I know she will be safe and loved with you because you loved me once and you loved Meg. I’ve been preparing her to be with you. I have old pictures of Meg and you and I’ve been referring to you as Mommy for the past six months. She also started calling me Uncle Duncan…So hopefully the transition is smooth. Keep my parents away from her. -DK.’

I open the file folder and find pictures of Meg and me, pictures of Faith as a baby, a vaccination record, medical records, and a birth certificate for Faith Ortiz with her mother listed as ‘Jane Doe’. I shake my head and pull out my phone.  
“Veronica.”  
“You knew he was coming and you didn’t think you should maybe warn me?"   
“He asked me not to.”  
“Uh-huh. You should have told me.”  
“I’m sorry.”  
“Clarence. You should have told me.”  
“You’re right. I should have. All of her paperwork is in order.”  
“Backfilled at the hospital and such as well?”  
“Of course.”  
“She’s awfully pale for a child that is supposedly biologically Juice’s.”  
“Recessive genes or some such nonsense. No-one is going to question it too much.”  
“The asshole heading up the RICO investigation might.”  
“No. Potter won’t.”  
“Why?”  
“You mean I know something you don’t?”  
“Speak, CW.”  
“Let me savour this moment. Jesus.”  
“Clarence!”  
“One of the FBI agents on the case is Leo. Faith’s paperwork ended up in Juice’s file months ago when Potter pulled it. As far as he knows, she’s always been Juice’s daughter.”  
“Leo is one of the agents? How the fuck did I miss that?”  
“He’s working as intelligence. I fully expect Potter to send him your way soon.”  
“Well, yeah. That’s logical. Use my ex-boyfriend to try to get information out of me.”  
“Exactly…Especially once he figures out that he’s not going to get anything out of Juice.”  
“I can’t believe I didn’t just assume Leo was involved. Of course, Potter was going to find that connection and want to exploit it.”  
“Yeah…But Leo is working for us.”  
“You’re sure he’s on our side?”  
“Of course he is. The man is in love with you.”  
“Okay. Thanks for handling Faith’s paperwork, Clarence.”  
“I also ordered her clothes and furniture. Should be at your house any time now.”  
“Thanks.”

I hang up and go back into the bedroom. Faith is awake and she and Juice are sitting up on the bed. She looks at me and says:  
“You’re my Mommy…right?”  
“Yeah, Faith. I am. Who is that?”  
I point at Juice and she thinks for a second, then says:  
“Daddy. Right? Because…Uncle Duncan said that the man that lives with Mommy is my Daddy.”  
“Yes. Good girl.”  
“Is Uncle Duncan still here?”  
“No, baby. He’s not.”  
“He’s sick.”  
“Yeah. He is.”  
“Do I have a room?”  
“Yes. But it doesn’t have any furniture yet. We ordered some, it’s supposed to be here today.”

I look at Juice and he sighs and says:  
“I’ll move the desk again.”  
“Thank you, love.”

I look back at Faith and say:  
“You know what we do have?”  
“What?”  
“Cookies and a trampoline.”  
“Really?!”  
“How about you and I go get some cookies and then play outside while Daddy moves furniture around?”  
“Okay.”

She jumps off the bed and runs into the other room. I look at Juice and say:  
“Congratulations. You have a five-year-old daughter. Clarence already took care of the paperwork. He made her your biological child.”  
“Clarence knew and he didn’t warn us?”  
“Yeah. I took issue with that too.”

I hear Faith say:  
“Who are you?”  
Then from the other room, I hear Opie say:  
“I’m Opie. Who are you?”  
“I’m Faith.”  
I walk out to the living room and Faith reaches for me, so I pick her up and set her on my hip. I say:  
“Faith. This your Uncle Opie. Opie, this is our daughter, Faith.”  
He looks confused, so I say:  
“There’s a note and file on the coffee table that explains most of it. Are the kids here?”  
“In the backyard.”

I turn and walk out to the backyard with Faith still on my hip. When we step outside I say:  
“Munchkins. Come meet your cousin.”  
They run over and I point at each child in order and say:  
“Faith…This is Piper, Ellie, and Kenny. They are Uncle Opie’s kids.”  
“Guys. This is Faith. She is Juice’s daughter…My daughter.”  
Ellie says:  
“How old are you Faith?”  
“Five. I’m five.”  
“Well, I’m ten, Kenny is eight, and Piper is six. Then we have two other cousins that are kids. Abel is two, and Thomas is six months. He’s pretty boring.”

Faith says:  
“Mommy, can I play with my cousins?”  
“Uh, yeah. Of course. Ellie, you’ll keep an eye on Faith for me?”  
Ellie nods and says:  
“Yes, Aunty Ronnie.”  
I put Faith down and say:  
“I’ll just be inside.”

When I get back inside, Juice and Opie are moving the desk from Faith’s room back into my room. I lean against the wall in the hallway and watch them. They’re talking quietly, so I can’t hear everything they say, but Juice says:  
“Did I do something wrong?”  
“She has bruises? That’s common. I will say, you need to modulate the strength of your smacks. You can’t just increase the force with every hit. And you have to smooth the skin between slaps. She couldn’t even sit down last night. She was in a lot of pain. So if that wasn’t your goal — which it could be sometimes — you need to go a little easier.”

I clear my throat and say:  
“Didn’t I tell you to stay out of this, Sasquatch?”  
“Yes. But he asked me. I didn’t volunteer.”  
Juice says:  
“Can you give me a lesson?”  
I shake my head and say:  
“No. He can’t.”  
“Why not, V?”  
“Because he’s not touching me again.”  
Opie says:  
“Veronica.”  
I lower my voice and say:  
“No. The last time you touched me when I wasn’t fully clothed you shoved your fingers into me against my will. You are not touching me again.”  
“Veronica. I didn’t…”  
“We are not having this conversation again. I don’t care why it happened. It happened. I am not holding it against you, we’re okay. We’re friends again. But you are not touching me when I am not fully clothed. This is not unreasonable.”

I look at Juice and say:  
“Once Faith’s furniture comes, we should really go over to Mom and Dad’s. Fill them in on the events of today. Dad’s going to blow a goddamn gasket.”  
“Probably. You want to talk to Gemma about getting everyone to the clubhouse tonight so we can make our announcement?”  
“You want to just announce the one thing today? Or both?”  
“Both.”  
“Okay. I’ll message Gemma.”

I’m sitting in the living room after messaging Gemma when Chibs and Kozik show up at the door.  
“Hey, guys.”  
“We saw a furniture truck outside and thought we’d help.”  
“Aw. Thanks, guys.”

The four guys make quick work of bringing in the furniture and setting it up. While they are doing that, Faith’s clothes, books, and toys get delivered, so I fill the toy box, bookcase, dresser, and closet. When we’re done, Chibs and Kozik leave and I pull my phone out and message Clarence:  
‘You went overboard buddy.’  
‘She’s been on the run her whole life, V. She deserves nice things. I put it on the corporate card. No, you aren’t paying me back.’  
‘Thank you, CW.’

I go to the backdoor and say:  
“Faith. Your room is done. You want to come to look?”  
She comes running inside and says:  
“Wow…Mommy, it’s so pretty.”  
“I’m glad you like it kiddo.”


	25. Twenty-five

I look at Juice and say:  
“Should we go see Mom and Dad before heading to the clubhouse?”  
“I think you and Faith should go see your parents. I have an errand to run.”  
“Don’t you dare. We can’t afford a ring.”  
“Shush, Supafly.”  
“Juan Carlos. Do not buy a ring.”  
“I will and you will love it and wear it. So shush.”  
“You are infuriating.”  
He grins before he kisses me and then leaves the house. Opie looks at me and says:  
“You’re engaged?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Does Jax know?”  
“Jax knows Juice proposed and that I was going to stay yes. But I have a feeling the news that throws him today will be Faith.”

I walk out of Faith’s room, taking Opie’s hand and pulling him with me. We walk into the kitchen and I let him go as I reach for a container on the top shelf of one of the cupboards. I pull a housekey out and put it in his hand.   
“You trust me with a key again?”  
“You’re family. Everyone else has a key.”  
“If you change your mind about me giving Juice lessons, I’m here for you.”  
“Yeah, because you get off on hurting me.”  
He leans in and whispers against my ear:  
“I get off on the fact that me hurting you gets you off. I bet I could give you an orgasm just by spanking you…Hell, I’d bet at this point I could just whisper in your ear, describing how I want to punish you, and you’d come. That’s how responsive to it, and me, you are.”  
“Doubtful.”  
“If all the kids weren’t here, I’d demonstrate for you.”  
“Whatever you say, Ope.”

He growls, still right against my ear, and whispers:  
“I would make you take off your clothes, then tie your wrists together with a scarf. I’d make you hold your hands above your head and grip a doorframe, probably your closet or bathroom door. Then I’d hit you with a crop. One with a leather end. I’d start off gentle, but as you got worked up, I’d hit you harder and harder. When you get so wet your juices are dripping down your thighs, I’d grab you and bend you over the edge of the bed before slamming into you. As I fuck you, I’d pull your hair and spank you. Then I’d come deep inside you and put you up against the doorframe to start over again as my come leaks out of you.”

I gasp and move my body closer to his.  
“I didn’t come.”  
“Oh, but baby…You’re so close. I can smell how aroused you are.”  
“Help me, Ope.”  
He leans in and bites the juncture where my neck meets my shoulder and pinches my ass, hard. I come with a gasp and say:  
“Fine. You can give him lessons.”  
“Good. Go change your clothes, your panties are soaked.”  
“Take your kids home and make sure you bring your wife to the clubhouse later.”  
“She has zero issues with this you know. She told me I’m allowed to hurt you and fuck you if that’s what you want.”  
“Still won’t let you play, huh? I am trying to convince her.”  
“Maybe we should get Gemma to take all the kids. We can combine a lesson for Juice with a demonstration for Lyla. Maybe if she sees how much you like it she’ll be willing to try.”  
“This sounds like a lot of people in my bedroom…while I’m naked and turned on.”  
“You can say you don’t like the sound of it, but your breath sped up, you’re biting your lip, and your eyes got dark. You like the idea of us all being there.”  
“Ope?”  
“Yeah, baby?”  
“Go away.”  
“Yes, ma’am.”

He steps away from me and loudly says:  
“Winston children! Let’s go!”  
“They have individual names you know.”  
“Eh. That was more efficient.”

Opie and the kids leave the house and I go into my room to change. Once I’ve done that, I go to get Faith.  
“Hey, sweetheart. You want to go meet Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Darrell, and Uncle Wayne?”

She’s sitting on the floor, surrounded by toys. She looks up at me and I am suddenly struck by how much she looks like Grace — Meg’s little sister.  
“I’m sorry, Mommy. I made a mess.”  
“You’re just playing kiddo. We’ll tidy up before bed. It’s okay.”  
“It’s okay that I have more than one toy out?”  
“Of course it is, Faith. This is your room, these are your things. You can drag them all out if you want. We’ll just clean up before bed each night.”  
“Uncle Duncan used to get mad.”  
“Oh. You’ll find I don’t get mad very often. I watch your cousins pretty much every day, so the house is always a mess during the day. I just…tidy up before bed.”  
“Are Grandma and Grandpa the same way?”  
“Kind of…The main part of the house gets tidied every night, but I can’t tell you the last time Uncle Darrell cleaned his room. A small child could get lost in there.”  
“How about Uncle Opie?”  
“His house is like ours. It gets tidied each night. Same with your Uncle Jax…You’ll meet him later. And Gramma Gemma and Grandpa Clay’s house gets tidied as we go, so if we play with barbies, we put them away before we take out another toy, but no-one is going to get mad at you if you forget.”  
“Can I wear one of my new outfits?”  
“Yes! Of course you can. Do you see one you want to wear?”  
“The pink and white dress?”  
“Sure.”

We get her changed and find a pair of white runners for her to wear, then I say:  
“Do you want me to braid your hair?”  
“Will it hurt? It always hurt when Uncle Duncan tried.”  
“It shouldn’t hurt. Should we try?”  
“Okay.”

We sit on her bed with a brush and a hair tie. I quickly brush and braid her hair, then say:  
“Done.”  
“That didn’t hurt at all.”  
“I have lots of practice. I used to have really long hair.”  
“Why don’t you anymore?”  
“I wanted a change. I think I’m going to grow it out again though.”

Faith and I leave the house, thankfully, one of the things Clarence remembered to buy was a booster seat for her for in the car. 

When we get to Mom and Dad’s, I help her out of the car and take her hand to walk into the house. When we get inside, Alicia and Wayne are sitting in the living room, and Alicia says:  
“Veronica, sweetheart. Who is this?”  
Dad walks in the room as she asks and he says:  
“Faith…”  
“Ortiz, Daddy. Faith Ortiz.”  
“How?”  
“Clarence got the paperwork done.”  
“Why?”  
“Duncan has cancer. He needed someone he could trust to love her to raise her.”  
“Well, you’re definitely the only option there.”

Faith tugs on my hand and says:  
“Mommy? Who?”  
“The man I’m talking to is Grandpa, sweetheart. He’s my Daddy. The other man is Uncle Wayne, he lives here so Grandma and Grandpa can take care of him because he’s sick, like Uncle Duncan. And that lovely lady over there is Grandma. My Mom.”  
“She doesn’t look like you.”  
“She’s my stepmom. My birth mom is a pretty awful person.”  
“And this mom is nice?”  
“She’s the best. And she gives really good hugs. So does your Uncle Wallace, but he’s at school in Neptune right now.”

I hear someone clear their throat and Wallace says:  
“No, I’m not, Supafly.”  
I let go of Faith’s hand to hug Trinity and I say:  
“Faith, this is your Aunty Trinity.”  
Trinity bends down and says:  
“Nice to meet you, Faith.”  
“How are you my Aunty?”  
“I am Mommy’s best friend. Also, Uncle Jax is my brother.”  
“You have a funny voice.”  
“That’s because I’m from Ireland. You have a bit of a funny voice too.”  
“We lived in Sydney for a little bit.”  
“That would explain that.”

I look at Wallace and say:  
“Papa Bear, why are you here?”  
“Clarence called me this morning. Filled me in on Duncan’s grand plan. He thought you might need your brother.”  
“Well, I guess it’s nice that he filled someone in ahead of time.”  
“He didn’t warn you?”  
“No. He did not.”  
Wallace shakes his head and walks down the rest of the stairs. He hugs me and whispers:  
“I’m gonna steal just a bit of your spotlight here, sis.”  
“Go for it, little brother.”

He steps away from me and takes Trinity’s hand before saying:  
“So, Veronica suddenly has a child, but Trinity and I have some news too. We’re engaged.”

Mom and Dad both rush over to them and wrap them in hugs. Faith grabs my hand and tugs and says:  
“Mommy…You and Daddy got engaged today too.”  
“I know, sweetheart. Let Uncle Wallace and Aunty Trinity have their moment. We’ll tell everyone the next time Daddy is here, okay?”  
“Okay.”


	26. Twenty-Six

I pick Faith up and walk over to where Wayne is sitting. I sit down next to him with Faith in my lap, and Wayne says:  
“Hi, pretty girl.”  
Faith says:  
“Hi. Are you actually my uncle, or are you my uncle like Uncle Opie?”  
“Uncle like Uncle Opie. How did you know Uncle Opie isn’t really your Uncle?”  
“Uncle Wallace barely touched Mommy when he hugged her, but Uncle Opie was touching her the whole time he was at the house.”  
“So, what does that mean?”  
“It means he isn’t her brother. Brothers and sisters don’t touch that much. And he doesn’t look like Mommy or Daddy. How is he my Uncle?”  
“He’s a friend. All the kids call all the adults Aunt and Uncle. It’s just how we do things here, darlin’.”  
“Oh. Okay.”

My phone rings and it’s Gemma, so I answer it.  
“Hey, Gemma.”  
“Everyone’s at the clubhouse, including a very nervous looking Juice.”  
“I’ll be right there. Thanks, Gemma.”  
I hang up and say:  
“Okay, Miss Faith. Let’s go meet everyone else.”  
“Okay…”

We leave with promises to come back for a longer visit another day. When we get to the clubhouse, Juice is waiting for us outside. Faith reaches for him, and he picks her up, carrying her in one arm while he holds my hand with the other.   
“Are you nervous, V?”  
“Uh…yeah.”  
“It’ll be fine.”

We walk into the clubhouse, Juice and Faith first, me following behind and Gemma gasps.  
“Did you steal a child?”  
“Yes, Gemma. That’s exactly what we did.”  
I laugh and shake my head.  
“Everyone, this is Faith. She’s five, and as far as everyone outside of this room and my family knows, she’s Juice’s biological daughter. She’s got the ‘Mommy’ and ‘Daddy’ bits down, so don’t be shocked.”  
Clay says:  
“Whose is she really, baby?”  
“Her biological father is my ex-boyfriend. Her biological mother was one of my best friends. When Meg was pregnant with Faith, she was on a school bus returning from a field trip. There was an explosion and the bus plunged off a cliff into the ocean. Meg survived. She was the only one. She was in a coma for a while. When she woke up, she asked us…Duncan and I, to do anything we had to to keep her baby away from her parents. They were abusive. They used to lock Meg and her sisters in a room behind a closet. They wouldn’t let them out until they were sure that the girls would pass some religious test….So when a blood clot moved from Meg’s leg to her lung and killed her and the doctors delivered Faith via c-section, Duncan and I kidnapped her. Duncan fled the country, the FBI thought I might have helped him, but they couldn’t prove anything, so it all just went away. Duncan showed up today and asked us to take Faith. He has cancer. The doctors can’t do anything and he wanted someone who would love her to raise her. He had already gotten Clarence to do what Clarence does and fix the paperwork and background, so everything is on the up-and-up. A contact within the FBI put Faith’s birth information into Juice’s profile months ago, so anyone who pulls his data will see that he has a daughter.”

Jax says:  
“What about Duncan’s family?”  
I laugh bitterly and say:  
“Duncan is Duncan Kane. Son of Jake and Celeste Kane. The man who is now married to my whore of a mother and the bitch who hired someone to kill me when I was seventeen.”  
“Oh, yeah. No. They can’t have her.”  
“No.”

There’s a knock on the door, and I say:  
“Juice…take her in the other room.”  
Once they’re gone, I open the door because I’m closest.   
“FBI Special Agent D’Amato.”  
“V.”  
“Leave your phone outside. And then you know the drill.”  
“Yeah, but if someone is going to pat me down for a non-existent wire, can it be my ex and not some scary giant?”  
“Nope. Ope knows what he’s doing.”  
Leo puts his phone down on the picnic table outside, and Opie pats him down.  
“He’s clean.”  
“What are you doing here, Leo?”  
“Potter sent me. You knew he would.”  
“Once I found out you were in town? Yeah.”  
“You didn’t know?”  
“No. I missed that. How did I miss that? Clarence knew something before me. It’s bothering me.”  
I hear Faith say:  
“Uncle Leo!”  
She comes running at him and jumps up as he picks her up.  
“Okay. What the hell? Faith, how long have you known Uncle Leo?”  
“Forever.”  
I look at Leo and say:  
“Explain.”  
“I was on the task force to find Duncan. I found him…And then I helped him hide better.”  
“Did you become an FBI agent just to be corrupt?”  
“Such is the cost of loving Veronica Mars. You made me a corrupt cop, remember?”  
“I just convinced you to tamper with a little evidence. It was nothing big. Geez. You act like I got you to kill someone or something. Besides, you were a criminal before that, what with the statutory rape and all.”  
He just raises an eyebrow at me.  
“How did you even become an FBI agent after being fired for tampering with evidence, anyways?”  
“Your Dad gave me a really good recommendation. I think he was trying to get rid of me. I came to see him while you were in the hospital. He didn’t want me sticking around.”  
“Why? Why wouldn’t he want you to stick around?”  
“He said you had been through enough…What with the almost dying and the insane heartbreak. He didn’t think you could handle me coming back into your life.”  
“Yeah…that was kind of crap.”

Jax says:  
“I’m sorry. I screwed up when I ordered him to stay away from you.”  
“Yup. You’re an asshole.”

I look at Leo and say:  
“So Clarence says you’re on our side in this. Is that true?”  
“Yes. I’m here to put false information in front of Potter…like about little Miss here. I’ll also get you as much as I can.”  
“If it’s in the system, I can get it.”  
“He’s not putting things in the system. He doesn’t trust that it’s secure.”  
“Shit. Does he have a local network?”  
“Yeah, but you’d have to be in the sheriff’s station to access it.”  
“…Like you are, on a regular fucking basis?”  
“What’s the plan, V?”  
“Signal booster installed outside his office? Should extend the local network far enough we can access it from the parking lot…Right? I’d have to check with Mac. This is her area of expertise. She does the gadgets, I do the actual espionage.”  
“That sounds like something Mac would say.”  
“Legitimate, actual quote from high school, yeah. I believe right before that she told me to respect the business model.”

I look at Clay and he says:  
“Everyone needs to know. Church time. Voting members, Veronica, and the FBI agent. Old ladies and kids can wait out here.”

I take Faith from Leo and hand her to Gemma saying:  
“Faith, this is Gramma Gemma. She will introduce you to the rest of your Aunts and the kids, okay?”  
“Yes, Mommy.”

I walk over to Jax and say:  
“Do you have the files with you?”  
“No.”  
“Okay. That’s fine.”

All the guys except Jax say:  
“We’re letting an old lady in the room?”  
Clay says:  
“Veronica will be in church with us from now on. She’s not just an old lady, she’s an investigative genius. We need her input.”

Clay wraps his arm around my shoulders and whispers:  
“Potter and RICO only. We’ll discuss everything else after Leo leaves.”  
“Yes, sir.”


	27. Twenty-Seven

We walk into church and all the guys take their seats, leaving one seat in the back behind Piney. I gesture to it and say:  
“Sit down, Leo.”

Clay says:  
“Veronica has found out some things that everyone at this table needs to know. She came to me first, as she should have. We’re going to talk about some of it while the FBI agent is here, and then he’s going to leave and we’re going discuss the rest. Veronica?”

I walk them through my investigation of Lincoln Potter and his RICO task force. I let them know that I think Potter is going to target Otto for past crimes, advising that we should tell Otto the truth about Luann and Bobby and Luann’s death before Potter fills his head with crap. I squeeze Juice’s shoulder as I say:  
“I think Potter is going to go after Juice for current crimes.”  
Opie says:  
“With what?”  
“He found out that Juice’s father is black. If he’s as devious as I think he is, he’ll give that information to Roosevelt and make Roosevelt try to convince Juice that the club will kick him out if you find out. You guys are Juice’s family...if he gets scared enough…”  
“But the bylaws.”  
“You are the third club member to respond to me with ‘but the bylaws’. Read your fucking bylaws, people! I did. It explicitly states ethnicity listed on the birth certificate, not the ethnicity of parents. Juice, what does your birth certificate say?”

Juice clears his throat and says:  
“Latino.”  
“So he’s fine. Potter has nothing but thinks he has something. I don’t know what he’s going to do when he figures out that Juice won’t flip. Sending Leo to try to get close to me is all well and good, but I’m just an old lady. I know nothing. Juice tells me nothing. It’s very frustrating.”

Leo stands up and says:  
“Potter thinks Tara’s death was a hit. He’s going to go after Jax if Juice won’t flip.”  
“I looked into the accident, Clarence looked into the accident. It was just that. An accident. Admittedly, I thought it might have been a hit too. But all evidence points to just…an accident.”  
“He’s going to try going after Eli too. He’s hoping you’ve told him something, V.”  
“Last night at the wedding was the first time I’ve seen or spoken to Eli since he patched Mayan. I haven’t told him shit…And why does Potter seem to think I’m the weak link?”  
“I think it’s just the level of access you have to multiple club members.”  
“Ah. Well, none of them tell me anything.”

Bobby says:  
“I’m sorry…I know this isn’t relevant, but I need to know. You’re Juice’s old lady…So what other club members do you have that level of access to?”

Jax says:  
“I’m in love with her.”

Opie says:  
“We participate in kinky fuckery.”  
“Really?! That’s how you are choosing to describe it? Jesus Christ.”  
Opie shrugs and says:  
“She gets off on being hurt. I get off on inflicting pain. It works.”  
“Can we not discuss my sex life at the moment…or ever? Please?”

Tig raises his hand and says:  
“I have questions.”  
“No.”  
“But…Ope got married last night. You’re Juice’s old lady. Are Lyla and Juice okay with this?”

Juice nods and says:  
“Yup. At least until I figure out the best pain infliction method.”

Opie says:  
“Lyla is perfectly happy for me to hurt Veronica. She has no interest in pain.”

I say:  
“Why are we still talking about this?!”

Chibs says:  
“Because darlin’, now we’re all curious.”  
“You’re all dirty old men is what you are.”

Jax says:  
“I’m not curious. I’d rather not hear about you fucking my best friend after you promised you wouldn’t again.”  
“I haven’t.”

Opie says:  
“Yeah, man. She refuses to fuck me because you made her promise. You suck, by the way.”  
“Then how?”  
“Earlier I got her off while we were both fully clothed in the kitchen. All I had to do is whisper in her ear, bite her neck once, and give her ass one good pinch.”  
I’ve been gently running my nails along Juice’s scalp the whole time we’ve been talking about this, and I keep it up as I say:  
“Yeah, but you failed in your mission. You were supposed to make me come just by whispering in my ear.”  
“It was close. It should be counted as a win.”  
“Nope.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Leo about to speak, so I say:  
“Shut it, D’Amato.”  
“I was just wondering something I wondered when we were together too.”  
“What?”  
“Is your pain kink something that you developed because of Patrick, or is it something you would have had anyway?”  
“Dunno. Can’t go back in time and not fuck Father Patrick, so…eh? It is what it is.”

Juice says:  
“Father Patrick?”  
“Yeah. I lost my virginity to a Catholic priest who enjoys inflicting pain. I was thirteen…You want to hear the real kickers? He’s also the one Lilly lost her virginity to, and the first of many men we passed back and forth…Also, he’s Liam’s older brother.”  
“Liam, like Liam who shot you, Liam?”  
“Yup. The very same.”

Jax says:  
“Leo…Did you fuck Lilly too?”  
“No. She’s a fucking bitch. I wouldn’t fuck her with someone else’s cock.”  
I look at him and shake my head:  
“That’s excessive, Leo.”  
“I’m the only one that didn’t though, right?”  
“Yes. Lots of guys who fucked Lilly didn’t fuck me, but yes. Lilly tended to fuck everyone that I did. She even wanted to fuck Jax.”

I look around the room and say:  
“Can we get back to club business, please? I think we’ve discussed my whorishness enough for one night…Leo, do you have anything to add that is relevant to the RICO investigation?”  
“Currently Roosevelt is still out of the loop. I would expect he would come to you once Potter brings him in, Ronnie. He’s fond of you.”  
“Cop’s daughter. It comes in handy sometimes. Is that everything?”  
“For now. I’ll keep you updated though. Untraceable email still set up?”  
“Yup.”  
“Is mine?”  
“And Mac’s, Wallace’s, Eli’s, Felix’s, and Duncan’s.”  
“Good. I’ll use that then.”  
“Okay.”

Leo walks out of the room, closing the door behind him. Clay says:  
“Veronica? Can we trust him?”  
“I always could before? So I’d say…cautiously?”  
“Fair enough. You want to share the other information?”  
“All of it, Clay?”  
“Yup. We may as well introduce the vote now.”

I take a deep breath and say:  
“Your deal with the Galindo cartel is only half guns. The other half is the Sons muling cocaine to the Mayans.”

Everyone gets loud and I say:  
“Shut up and listen.”

Once everyone is quiet I say:  
“SAMCRO needs to vote yes on the drugs. The cartel will wipe us out if we vote no. Also, Romeo and Luis are CIA. The CIA needs this deal to happen. Which means we can get the CIA to kill the RICO investigation. We need the cartel, for now, so get over yourselves and vote yes. I have a rough plan to get the club away from the cartel and the IRA, but it’s going to take a little while. Lin has a gun pipeline that rivals the IRA. Cut the IRA out, use Lin. As for the muling portion, tag the One-Niners and the Mayans. They can easily work together to transport guns and drugs, plus it expands Galindo’s distribution into Nevada. The One-Niners do have a boss though. His name’s Pope. He’s a smart businessman. Keep on his good side and he could be a useful partner. Piss him off though, and people have the tendency to end up dead.”

“Oh, and by the way…The Russians are going to hit back hard, and soon. If they’re smart, they’ll go after the ammo suppliers and set a trap for whatever SAMCRO members show up next.”

They all get loud again and I say:  
“Guys! I know you don’t want to get involved in drugs. I know SAMCRO doesn’t handle drugs. But the Galindo cartel is the only game around that can protect you from the Russians, and they don’t make one-way deals. They take the IRA guns, you mule the coke. That’s how it works. I love you all, but get over yourselves and vote in the best interests of the club. If you vote no, the cartel will kill everyone. Not just club members…Old ladies, kids, crow-eaters, extended families…everyone. I just worked a case involving the cartel and they tortured, murdered, and sent pieces of three field agents back to Clarence. They are not fucking around. Romeo isn’t fucking around.”


	28. Twenty-Eight

Clay says:  
“We need to vote on the drugs. We also need to vote on a change in leadership. I am stepping down as President and I’m suggesting Jax takes over.”

Jax says:  
“Seriously? You’re stepping down without argument?”  
I say:  
“Jax, don’t be antagonistic. Clay’s doing the smart thing for the club.”  
“Yeah…this has Veronica fingerprints all over it.”  
“He asked for my opinion. I gave it. That’s all.”

I sit down in the free chair and just listen for now.

Clay says:  
“Let’s vote on muling the coke.”

Everyone but Bobby, Chibs, and Piney votes yes, so it passes. I sigh in relief and Juice reaches over and intertwines our fingers, squeezing slightly.

Clay says:  
“Let’s vote on Jax taking over as President.”

Everyone votes yes, and Jax says:  
“I want Ope as my VP.”

Everyone votes yes to that too. Then he says:  
“Tig, I love you, brother, but I want Chibs as my Sergeant-at-Arms.”  
“Of course, brother.”

Jax looks at me and then says:  
“Clay made the decision on his own to allow an old lady into church. I’m reversing that decision.”  
“Fine.”  
I stand up and Piney says:  
“We wouldn’t know what is coming for us without her. Are you insane?”  
“We’ve always done alright on our own. We don’t need an old lady to save our asses.”  
I kiss Piney’s cheek and say:  
“It’s fine, Piney.”

I leave the room, closing the door behind me. When I get out to the main clubhouse, Faith is curled up in Lyla’s lap.  
“She’s tired.”  
“I see that. Hey Faith?”  
“Mommy…”  
“Let’s go home, sweetheart.”  
“Where’s Daddy?”  
“Still busy with work. He’ll be home later, okay?”  
“Okay.”

I kiss Lyla’s cheek and pick up Faith. Once we’re in the car I drive to Jax’s house and run inside to get the files off the kitchen table, then I relock his front door and go home.

At home I change a sleeping Faith into her pyjamas and tuck her into bed before cleaning up her room, turning on her night-light, and walking out, closing the door behind me. I change into pyjamas and put the files back in my filing cabinet before taking advantage of this quiet time to work on a couple of ongoing cases. About an hour later, my quiet time is interrupted by my front door slamming into the wall and Jax saying:  
“Veronica?!”  
I step out into the living room and quietly say:  
“Faith is sleeping. What is your problem?”  
“My problem is that you used your key to my house and took those files off my table.”  
“Yes. I took my files off of your table. You don’t need me, remember?”  
“I want the files back.”  
“No. I told you everything that’s really relevant.”

He stalks towards me, looking pissed off. When he’s in front of me, he says:  
“Give me the files, Veronica.”  
“No. You don’t need an old lady to save you, remember?”  
The next thing I know, he’s backhanding me and I can feel my face tear open where his rings hit. I can taste blood in my mouth as well.  
“You are an old lady. Follow orders and give me the fucking files.”  
“No.”  
He hits me again and I move backwards into my room, locking the door behind me before grabbing my phone from my desk and locking myself in my bathroom. I dial Roosevelt’s number and wait for him to answer.  
“Veronica?”  
“I need you. At my house. Please.”  
“Who?”  
“It’s Jax.”  
“I’ll be right there.”

I hear the bedroom door break open, then the bathroom door does too. I’m sitting on the floor in the far corner, clutching my phone.  
“Who did you call, Veronica?”  
“Why are you doing this?”  
“Give me the files.”  
“Jax…Jackson. Why are you hurting me?”  
“I need the files, Veronica. I need to know what’s coming.”  
“I told you what was coming. I told you everything. I convinced Clay to step down because I thought you would do what was best for everyone…but…”  
“I don’t want to hurt you. Why can’t you just do as you are told?”  
“Not my style. I’ve never been one to take orders well.”  
“Give me the files.”  
“No.”

He grabs my throat and lifts me up so I’m standing before he presses me into the wall, still holding me by my throat. He’s squeezing quite hard, so all I can do is gasp and wheeze. I struggle to wheeze out:  
“Jax…You’re hurting me.”  
“Give me the files.”  
“No.”  
He squeezes harder and my vision starts to go black. The last thing I hear before I pass out is Roosevelt saying:  
“Teller. Let her go.”

When I wake up, I’m in a hospital bed and Faith is curled up beside me. Juice is sitting in the chair next to my bed, and Roosevelt is leaning against the wall.  
“You didn’t shoot him, did you?”  
“Try not to talk, Veronica. He did a number on your windpipe. No, I didn’t shoot him. As soon as you passed out he collapsed next to you. It’s like he realized what he had done. He was inconsolable.”  
“Good.”  
“Do you want to press charges?”  
“No.”  
“Stop protecting the club over your own best interests! You wouldn’t press charges when Opie sexually assaulted you, and now you won’t press charges either?”  
“I’m five by five, sheriff. Thank you for coming to my rescue.”  
“You know, you don’t have to be so goddamn tough all the time.”  
“Yes, I do.”  
He shakes his head and says:  
“I’m letting him spend the night in a jail cell. Let me know if you change your mind about the charges.”  
“I won’t.”  
“Why not?!”  
“I won’t press charges against SAMCRO’s president, sheriff.”  
He shakes his head again and walks out of the room.

I’m still looking at the door when Juice says:  
“Why didn’t you just give him the damn files?”  
“Because they are mine. Because I worked to get that information, and he claims y’all don’t need me. So, fine.”  
“He could have killed you!”  
“I didn’t think he would hurt me. Why did he hurt me?”  
I’m crying now.   
“I don’t know, baby. I didn’t expect he would either. But why do you have to be so difficult? You saw that he was not himself. You should have just given him the files.”  
“You’re right. This is my fault. I deserved to get hurt because I’m difficult.”  
“That’s not what I said.”  
“Kind of is. Can you take Faith home, please?”  
“I’m not leaving you here alone.”  
“Please, Juice. Take our daughter home so she can sleep in her own bed.”  
“You shouldn’t be alone.”  
“I have spent many nights alone in this hospital. I’ll be fine.”

Wallace and Trinity walk in then and Wallace says:  
“Supafly…What is it about you that pisses everyone off so damn much?”  
“Don’t start, Wallace.”  
“Whoa…I’m just playing, sis. What’s wrong?”  
“Nothing.”  
“We’ll take munchkin home.”  
“No. Juice is taking her home. You’re welcome to go with him. I’m fine alone.”

Trinity says:  
“I’ll stay with you, Ronnie.”  
“I love you, Trinity, so please don’t take this personally…but please go away.”  
“It was Jax? My brother did this to you?”  
“Yeah.”

I stop talking and they eventually all leave, Juice leaning over to kiss me before he goes. He sighs when I turn my head so he ends up kissing my cheek.

When I next wake up, it’s morning and Lyla is in the bed next to me, our hands curled between us. She smiles when she sees that I’m awake, and she says:  
“I didn’t want you to be alone. I would have sent Opie, but Juice said that you wouldn’t even look at him. So I figured maybe Opie wasn’t the best option.”  
“Thank you.”  
“What are you thinking, love?”  
“I’m thinking Tara was right. I’m thinking the only way to protect our kids is to leave.”  
“This is just a reaction to being attacked. Once you’re out of the hospital, you won’t think that way anymore. The guys will protect us.”  
“Lyla…They won’t protect us from their president. Jax did this.”  
“Veronica…Juice will protect you. He loves you.”  
“Yeah? Then where was he?”  
“You’re right…he left the clubhouse at the same time as Jax.”  
“So where was he? Why wasn’t he at home with me?”  
“You think Jax ordered him to stay away?”  
I shrug.  
“It wouldn’t be the first time he abandoned me because Jax told him to.”  
“I’m sure it’s not what you think.”  
“I hope not.”


	29. Twenty-Nine

When I get out of the hospital, Dad drives me home. When we stop in front of the house, he says:  
“That’s a lot of motorcycles out front.”  
“Of course.”  
“Do you want to come home with me?”  
“No. I have Faith now. I can’t just run away.”  
“You could bring her over.”  
“Maybe later, Daddy. I didn’t sleep well last night.”

I go into the house and my living room is full of SAMCRO members. I ignore them all and walk into my bedroom, closing the door as best I can seeing as Jax broke the doorjamb. I get a change of clothes and go shower before getting dressed. I clean up the files I was working on last night and grab the files Jax wanted. I walk out to the living room and throw them at him before saying:  
“There. The files you were so fucking desperate for that you hospitalized me. Now get the fuck out of my house.”  
“Veronica…”  
“No. We’re done. You are the president of SAMCRO, so I didn’t press charges, because I’m just an old lady. But you and I? We’re done. I don’t want to be involved anymore. With any of you. So I’m an old lady, but I want nothing to do with the club. Don’t come back here.”  
“Veronica…What about Abel and Thomas?”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath before saying:  
“I will visit them when they are with Gemma and Clay. I will not come to your house and you will not come here. Put your key on the table. Here’s my copy of your house key.”  
I drop the key on the table.

“We’re having family dinner tonight.”  
“Okay. Enjoy yourselves. Juice and Faith will be there.”  
“You’re just going to what? Pretend the club doesn’t exist?”  
“You came into my house and attacked me while my daughter slept in the next room, Jackson. The only reason I haven’t decided to leave like Tara did is how much I love Juice. But I am scared of you. I am scared of you in a way I’ve never been scared of anyone. Not even Liam, knowing he was about to shoot me. I trusted you and you hurt me. So yeah, I’d rather pretend the club, in general, doesn’t fucking exist.”  
“Veronica…”  
“Goodbye, Jackson.”

I walk into the backyard and find Faith, Ellie, Kenny, and Piper playing on the trampoline. I lie on the grass nearby and watch the clouds until someone lies next to me, taking my hand in theirs and intertwining our fingers.  
“Are you okay, Supafly?”  
“No.”  
“What can I do?”  
“Just this, little brother.”  
“I may have done something better this morning. Sit up.”  
“Why?”  
“Why do you have to argue about everything? Sit up, woman.”

I sit up and shake my head when I see Mac, Dick, Logan, Eli, and Felix standing in the yard. I start crying and Wallace stands up, pulling me up with him.  
“Come on, sister. Let’s get out of this damn town for a bit.”  
“Yeah? Where are we going?”  
Logan says:  
“Dad’s yacht is moored in San Francisco. Come on…let’s relive our youth.”  
Eli, Felix, and Mac all say:  
“Your youth. Some of us grew up poor.”  
I say:  
“Hey. I grew up poor too.”  
Wallace snorts and says:  
“Yeah, but Logan Echolls was in love with you.”  
“So? I still grew up poor.”  
“Yeah…But not really though, Supafly. You spent too much time on yachts to be considered actually poor.”  
“I’m sorry you were incapable of befriending the rich kids, Papa Bear.”  
“Brat. Come on, let’s go. Dick brought a car too.”  
I shake my head and say:  
“Of course he did…Fucking rich boys.”

When we walk into the house, all the guys are still there. I walk over to Juice and kiss him before I say:  
“Take Faith to family dinner tonight. I’ll be home later.”  
“Where are you going?”  
“San Francisco.”  
“With them?”  
“With my brother and my friends who have no connection to SAMCRO? Yeah.”  
“He’s a Mayan.”  
“Yes. He is. And your point?”

Jax says:  
“You can’t be friends with a Mayan. That’s an order.”  
“Well, much like the orders you gave me last night, I’m gonna say no. In fact, I’m gonna say go fuck yourself.”  
“Veronica. You are an old lady and you will follow orders.”  
“No. I won’t.”  
“You will not be friends with a Mayan.”  
“How are you going to stop me, Jackson? You gonna hospitalize me again?”  
“No. Of course not.”  
“Then I guess you have no actual say in my life, huh?”

Eli says:  
“Wait…He’s the one who did this to you?”  
“Cálmate, Eli. No puedes matarlo. Él es el presidente de SAMCRO, te destruirán y Héctor se lo permitirá.” (Calm down, Eli. You cannot kill him. He is the president of SAMCRO, they will destroy you and Hector will allow it.)  
“Él dice que te ama.” (He says he loves you.)  
“Eso sé lo hace peor.” (Yeah. That makes it worse.)  
“¿Estás bien?” (Are you okay?)  
“Le tengo miedo. Confié en él y me lastimó.” (I am scared of him. I trusted him and he hurt me.)  
“¿Que puedo hacer? ¿Qué podemos hacer?” (What I can do? What can we do?)  
I shake my head and say:  
“No lo sé. Solo vamonos.” (I don’t know. Let’s just go.)

Wallace shakes his head and says:  
“I hate it when you guys do that. You know Dick and I both failed Spanish and you talk too fast for me to keep up.”  
“Aw…Muffin.”

Mac says:  
“Maybe you should have paid more attention to the class and less attention to the tight sweaters, Wallace.”  
“What? You’re telling me you got all that?”  
“Most of it, but I’m not quite as fast as them…I didn’t grow up or practically grow up in a Spanish-speaking household.”  
I say:  
“No. Because your Mom was an actual Mom and wasn’t either drunk or off fucking your best friend’s Dad all the time…So you didn’t need Abuelita. I did.”  
“True. For all the faults the McKenzies have, they were always good parents.”  
“And Wallace’s Mom is a fucking rockstar and Dad is great…The rest of the parents though…eh.”  
Felix and Logan both snort and say:  
“Fucking understatement of the century, Mars.”  
I laugh and say:  
“Let’s go.”

Everyone walks out of the house except Eli who is standing and glaring at Jax. I grab his arm and say:  
“Come on. We’re on a schedule here, vato.”  
I drag him out of the house and shove him towards the car. As I turn around to grab my purse, Juice brings it out.  
“Thanks.”  
“You’ll be home tonight, right?”  
“Yes, my love.”  
“I was hoping to announce our engagement at family dinner tonight.”  
“Go ahead.”  
“You should be there.”  
“I will not come to family dinners anymore. I will not come to the clubhouse anymore. I love you, Juice…So much. But I can’t. I’m afraid of him.”

He grabs me and pulls me close to him before kissing me.  
“I didn’t know what he was going to do. He asked me to stay with the boys. He said he needed to talk to you. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here.”  
“It’s okay. I’m not upset with you, babe.”  
“Your ring is in your purse. Can you put it on and wear it please?”  
“Yeah. I love you.”  
“I love you. Don’t get lost in San Francisco.”  
“We’re going out on Logan’s Dad’s yacht. I promise not to fall overboard.”  
“His Dad has a yacht?”  
“His Dad is Aaron Echolls…the movie star?”  
“Ugh.”  
I laugh and say:  
“That’s everyone’s reaction to Aaron…he’s awful.”  
“Go, babe. They’re all waiting.”  
“I love you. I’ll see you later.”  
“Yeah…I love you.”  
I kiss him again and then turn around and walk away.


	30. Thirty

When I get in the car I open my purse and find a note and a jewellery box. I read the note before opening the box:  
‘My darling, before you blow a gasket about me spending money we don’t have…It was my grandmother’s ring. I just got it resized. I love you more than anything and I’m so grateful I found you. Thank you for agreeing to marry me. Thank you for being mine. I love you. -J.’

I open the box and gasp. Mac leans over and says:  
“Holy shit. Clearly those bikers bring in more money than I thought.”  
“Nope. I bring in more money in a week than Juice brings in all month.”  
“Then how the hell did he afford that?”  
“Apparently it was his grandmother’s. He just got it resized.”  
“He proposed without a ring?”  
“Yeah.”  
“You said yes without a ring?”  
“Yeah. I told him I didn’t need a ring.”  
“Well, you need this ring. It’s fucking gorgeous.”  
“Well, technically I still don’t need the ring. I’m gonna wear it, but I don’t need it.”

I take the engagement ring out of the box, leaving the matching wedding band inside. I hold it and stare for a minute until Mac says:  
“Moment of truth, Bond. Does it fit?”  
I slide the ring on and say:  
“Perfect fit, Q.”  
“He did good.”  
“Yeah, he did.”

I put the box with the wedding band back in my purse and pull out my phone. I dial Juice’s number and when he answers I say:  
“How did you get it sized correctly?”  
“Lyla.”  
“Sneaky, sneaky Juan Carlos.”  
“Do you like it?”  
“I love it.”  
“Good. I love you.”  
“I love you. I’ll see you later…Hey, keep an eye on Faith at dinner tonight…She seemed…off with the kids earlier.”  
“She’s upset. She woke up while you were unconscious and Roosevelt was cuffing Jax last night.”  
“Well, that’ll do it, yeah.”  
“Hang on, she wants to talk to you.”  
I hear the phone being passed over, and then Faith says:  
“Mommy…Why aren’t you coming to Gramma Gemma’s?”  
“Because I’m out with Uncle Wallace. Daddy will be at Gramma Gemma’s with you.”  
“Are you scared of Uncle Jax?”  
“Yes, baby. I am.”  
“Should I be?”  
“No, Faith. You should not be afraid of Uncle Jax. He would never hurt you.”  
“He hurt you.”  
“Yes. But he would never hurt you.”  
“You’re sure?”  
“Yes, my darling. I’m sure.”  
“Okay. Mommy?”  
“Yes, Faith?”  
“Can I sleep in your bed tonight?”  
“Ummm…How about this? If you and Daddy end up going to bed before Mommy gets home, you can sleep in my bed until I get home.”  
“Okay.”  
“Faith? I’m going to hang up now. You have fun at Gramma Gemma’s okay?”  
“You are coming home again, right? You aren’t leaving like Uncle Duncan?”  
“I am not leaving you, Faith. I will be home tonight.”  
“You promise?”  
“I promise. I love you, Faith. Be good for Daddy.”  
“Okay. Bye Mommy.”  
“Bye Faith.”

I hang up and put my phone in my purse. Everyone but Wallace looks at me and says:  
“Explain.”  
“Duncan showed up yesterday. He asked Juice and me to raise Faith. He had gotten Clarence to fix all the paperwork and everything already. According to her birth certificate, she’s Juice’s biological child. He had been training her for months to call us Mommy and Daddy. He got her to start calling him Uncle Duncan…He has cancer. The doctors can’t do anything.”  
Dick says:  
“Jesus Christ.”  
“He left while Juice and I were talking it over. He didn’t say goodbye to her.”

Logan says:  
“Why you?”  
“Who else?”  
“Good point.”  
“He said he knew I would take care of her because I loved Meg, and as soon as he saw Juice with Faith he knew Juice would agree.”  
“Juice likes kids?”  
“Yeah.”

Five hours later we’re getting off the yacht and headed back to the car when my phone rings.  
“Hey, Ope.”  
“Just thought I’d let you know that you were right about the Russians.”  
“Did anyone get hurt?”  
“One of our ammo guys is dead. Jax and I both got pretty banged up.”  
“Are you okay?”  
“Jax got the worst of it.”  
“That’s unfortunate, but not what I asked.”  
“I’m okay, babe. I don’t know why he did what he did, but I know he hates himself for it.”  
“Good. I hate him for it too. I’m glad you’re not dead.”  
“Such love…What I don’t understand is how Romeo knew to come to save us.”  
“I have no idea. It couldn’t be the phone call I made yesterday warning them that the Russians would probably hit the reservation this weekend.”  
“No, of course not.”  
“Y’all don’t need an old lady to save your asses, so it must have been something else that sent Romeo and Luis out there.”  
“He doesn’t speak for all of us.”  
“He’s your president.”  
“I am aware. I’m going to suggest a vote.”  
“Do whatever you want. I will not step foot in the clubhouse again. I meant what I said. I’m done. Out. The only interference I will participate in is whatever I need to in order to keep Juice alive and out of prison. I am not helping Jax.”  
“You’ll change your mind. You won’t leave the rest of us hanging out to dry.”  
“Don’t be so sure about that, Opie.”  
I hang up and put my phone in my purse.

When I get home two hours later, Juice and Faith aren’t home yet, so I shower and change into pyjamas before curling up on the couch and putting a movie on. I’m only about twenty minutes into my movie when Juice walks in carrying Faith. I pause the movie as he carries her into her room and then goes into our room. When he comes back out, he’s wearing pyjama pants and sits on the couch before saying:  
“Come here, V.”  
I move across the couch and curl up between his legs with my head on his chest.  
“What are you watching?”  
“A movie.”  
“Obviously. Which movie?”  
“Mermaids…the 1990 Cher classic. Don’t judge me. I can see you judging me.”  
“I can’t judge. I’ve never seen it.”  
“You want me to start it again? I’m only twenty minutes in.”  
“Sure.”

I start the movie from the beginning again and snuggle into him. He runs his fingers through my hair as we watch the movie and whispers:  
“I love you. I’m sorry I wasn’t here last night. I’m so sorry, baby. I promised I would protect you, and then I wasn’t here to protect you.”  
“I’m okay, Juice.”  
“You’re not. He bruised your windpipe, you have bruises on your neck, your face is bruised, you have stitches in your cheek where his rings cut you…”  
“This is nothing. I’ve experienced worse.”  
“When?”  
“You remember me mentioning that Trinity’s stepdad hit me once?”  
“Yeah.”  
“It wasn’t just a single hit. It was bad. I ended up in the hospital. I had multiple broken bones in my face, a broken collarbone, and three broken ribs. I have my medical records…They include pictures. It was bad.”  
“Why?”  
“I talked back. Keith…doesn’t accept that from anyone, especially anyone female, especially when he’s drunk.”  
“Personally, I enjoy your snark.”  
“That’s because you’re weird.”  
“Or it’s because I love you.”  
“Ehh…I think it’s because you’re weird.”  
“You’re such a brat.”  
“Yes. Yes, I am.”

He takes a deep breath and says:  
“He hates himself for hurting you.”  
“So I’ve heard.”  
“Please consider forgiving him.”  
“No. I want nothing to do with him.”  
“He loves you.”  
“That’s nice.”  
“You love him.”  
“I don’t care.”  
“Sweetheart…”  
“No, Juice.”  
“I just think…”  
“No! I don’t care that he hurt me. I am scared of him. I know I act like I’m this badass…But I’m not. I’m scared, Juice.”  
“Oh, my baby. I’m sorry.”  
“I’m going to go to bed. I love you.”  
“I’ll come with you.”  
“Finish watching the movie. I’m not going anywhere.”

I get up and walk into the bedroom before pulling a file out of the filing cabinet. I put it on the desk so the label is visible, then I go to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Veronica's engagement ring: https://www.peoplesjewellers.com/perfect-fit-050-ct-tw-oval-diamond-frame-vintagestyle-interlocking-bridal-set-10k-white-gold/p/V-20128629


	31. Thirty-One

When I wake up in the morning, Juice’s spot in the bed is empty, but I have Faith curled up next to me on the other side. I hear voices coming from the living room, and as I lay there quietly I can hear Juice say:  
“She’s afraid of you. This is why.”  
Then I hear Jax say:  
“What is this?”  
“Her medical records and pictures from the one time Keith hit her.”  
“Jesus Christ. Our poor baby. Why did he do this to her?”  
“She talked back.”

I get up and pull the files I have with Maureen’s, Trinity’s, and Cherry’s medical records from the filing cabinet. I walk into the living room and drop the files on the table.  
“SAMBEL is full of abusive fucks. The old ladies, kids, and crow-eaters are all treated like punching bags. Keith is not the odd man out. They are all like this.”

I pick up Cherry’s file and say:  
“This is what SAMCRO sent Cherry to. They almost killed her. She’s not there anymore, I gave her money so she could leave. It was a good use of the blood money.”

I pick up Trinity’s file and say:  
“Keith started beating the shit out of Trinity when she was two. He has broken almost every bone in her body over the years.”

I point at Maureen’s file and say:  
“Ma’s is the worst. The things that Keith has done to her over the years make me nauseous.”

I put the files back down and say:  
“I don’t have medical records from the other old ladies and kids, but there were always old ladies in and out of the hospital. They are awful. Really, really awful.”

Jax says:  
“I’m so sorry I scared you, baby. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I told you that we don’t need you. We need you. We all need you. So much. You saved Ope and me yesterday. That call you made to Romeo saved us. They were about to put a bullet in my head when Romeo showed up.”

I look at Juice and he nods, just enough for me to see it. I walk over and sit on Jax’s lap, straddling him, before kissing him. When we separate, I say:  
“I’m glad you aren’t dead. I’m glad Romeo showed up. I don’t want to be afraid of you, Jax. Why did you hit me? Why was that your response to me not following orders?”  
“I don’t know, Veronica. I don’t know.”  
“Well, figure it out. If you don’t understand why you did it, how do you know it won’t happen again?”

I go to stand up and he tightens his arms around me.  
“Please don’t leave me again. Please, baby.”  
“Jax, you need to let go of me.”  
He loosens his arms and lets me go. I kiss him again and say:  
“I love you.”  
I stand up and walk over to Juice, curling up in his lap and pressing my face into his neck before whispering:  
“I love you the most. You know that, right?”  
“Yeah, V. I know.”

I put my hand on Juice’s cheek and kiss him. Jax says:  
“So you said yes.”  
“I told you I was going to.”  
“When did you?”  
“When we decided to raise Faith.”  
“So why didn’t you announce it at the clubhouse?”  
“We were going to…Then we ended up in church…Then someone was an asshole…Who was that I wonder?”

I look at Juice and say:  
“I thought you were going to announce it at family dinner last night?”  
“Our engagement should be announced when we’re both there.”  
“Well, that might be an issue…What with me wanting nothing to do with the club.”  
“Sweetheart…”  
“Yes, my love?”  
“Jax fucked up, yes. But every other club member is pissed at him for it. Everyone is upset that he hurt you, that he scared you. They all love you. They are our family.”  
“They are your family. They are his family.”  
“They are your family too, V. They love you. Do you really think they don’t consider you family?”  
I shrug and he sighs before saying:  
“My sweet girl…They all love you. Even Piney and he doesn’t like anyone.”  
“Fine. Invite everyone over this evening for a BBQ. Whenever you guys are done whatever club business you have today.”  
“We’re just…”  
“Nope. Don’t care. Just stay alive and come home to me.”  
I kiss him again before getting up. I’m walking towards the bedroom when there’s a knock on the front door. 

When I open the door, Roosevelt is standing on the porch.  
“Veronica. Can we talk?”  
“Yeah. Come on in.”  
He steps into the house and says:  
“Privately?”  
“Backyard it is.”  
We walk out to the backyard and I gesture at a chair. He sits down and I sit next to him before saying:  
“So? What’s going on sheriff?”  
“The prosecutor that’s in town is running a RICO investigation.”  
“I know.”  
“How? I just found out.”  
“He made me suspicious. I started digging. You are currently violating a non-disclosure agreement at the moment, aren’t you?”  
“Yeah. I am. He wants me to pressure Juice into ratting on the club.”  
“Oh yeah? Using what?”  
“This.”  
He hands me the file he’s been holding, and I open it.  
“Juice’s dad was kind of hot. Guess that’s where he gets it.”  
“You don’t seem surprised.”  
“That my fiancé’s dad is black? No. I’m not surprised.”  
“The club will kick him out if they find out.”  
“They already know. It doesn’t violate the bylaws. Juice’s ethnicity is Latino.”  
“So Potter has nothing on Juice?”  
I shrug.  
“I don’t know if he has something else on him, but he doesn’t have this.”  
“Thank goodness. I really didn’t want to use this against him.”  
“Potter’s a bit of an ass…Trying to get the black sheriff to use someone’s black daddy against him”  
“Yeah. He really doesn’t like people.”  
“Clearly. Thank you for coming to warn me.”  
“Anytime. I’m fairly fond of you. Even if you are never willing to press charges against these assholes when they hurt you. Speaking of which, why is he here?”  
“Apologizing. He’s Juice’s brother and president. I have to play nice.”

From inside the house, we hear Faith scream and start calling for me. I get up and run in the house. When I get to her I pick her up.  
“Shhh…Faith. I’m right here. What’s wrong?”  
“I don’t want Uncle Jax here. He hurt you.”  
“Faith, I told you, he would never hurt you. You don’t have to be afraid of him.”  
“But he hurt you…You weren’t awake. You had to go to the hospital.”  
“But I’m okay now. Everything is fine, my love.”  
“Why does Daddy have to be friends with Uncle Jax? Why can’t we just stop seeing him?”  
I look at Juice and say:  
“You want to take that one, honey?”  
“Sure…while you walk the sheriff out.”

I put Faith down on Juice’s lap and say:  
“Sheriff…Thank you for the heads up.”  
“Yeah. I’ll let you know if I hear anything else.”  
“Thanks. I’ll do the same.”  
“No, you won’t. Don’t pretend otherwise.”  
He walks out of the house and I close the door behind him before walking over to the couch and sitting between Juice and Jax. 

Faith climbs off of Juice’s lap and curls up on mine before saying:  
“Why can’t we stop seeing Uncle Jax?”  
“Because he’s one of Daddy’s brothers, and we don’t just abandon our family when things get hard.”  
“You didn’t come to dinner last night.”  
“Because I was out with my brother.”  
“And other people. Who were they?”  
“Your Aunty Mac, Uncle Dick, Uncle Logan, Uncle Eli, and Uncle Felix.”  
“When can I meet them?”  
“I’ll invite them to come over this afternoon.”  
“Okay.”

I hold my hand out for Jax to take and say:  
“Faith…We are going to forgive Uncle Jax for hurting Mommy, okay? You and I both. He said he was sorry, so we’re going to forgive him.”  
“What if he does it again?”  
“He won’t. But if he does, we’ll talk about it then…Okay?”  
“Okay.”  
She climbs over and wraps her arms around Jax’s neck. He has tears in his eyes as he hugs her back.  
“Faith, how about you go get dressed and play in your room for a bit? Uncle Jax is leaving and Mommy needs to talk to Daddy before he goes to work.”  
“Okay.”

She bounces out of the room, into her bedroom before closing the door behind her. Jax looks at me and says:  
“Am I leaving?”  
“Yes.”  
“Do I have to?”  
“Yes. Get out.”

Jax and Juice exchange a look before both leaning forward. When their faces are both in front of mine, they kiss each other. I put one of my hands on each of their faces and groan. They pull apart and smirk at me before they both start kissing my neck.  
“Stop it.”  
I push them both away and stand up before saying:  
“Jax. Get out.”  
“You want this.”  
“No. I don’t.”  
“Veronica. We talked about this. Having both of us is your most common fantasy.”  
“It was.”  
“Veronica…”  
“No. Please go away.”

I walk away, going into my room and pushing the door mostly closed. By the time Juice walks in a few minutes later, I’m sitting on the floor in the corner with my knees pulled up against my chest and my face resting on them. 

He kneels in front of me and puts his hands on my thighs.  
“Talk to me, baby.”  
“I forgive him…But I’m still scared. I don’t want him touching me.”  
“He won’t hurt you again.”  
“You don’t know that. He doesn’t know why he did it, so he can’t know that it’s never going to happen again.”  
“Okay, but he’s not going to hurt you when I’m right there, babe.”  
“I don’t want to have sex with someone I’m scared of. This doesn’t seem fucking unreasonable.”  
“He loves you. I love you. We just want you to be happy.”  
“You want me to be happy? Keep him away from me. Don’t try to convince me to fuck him.”

I push his hands off of me and hug my legs tighter against my body.  
“Just go do whatever club stuff you have to do.”  
“Babe…”  
“No.”  
His voice gets gruff and he orders:  
“Veronica. Look at me.”  
I lift my head and look at him.  
“I love you. I will do whatever it takes to make you happy. You want Jax to never touch you again? I’m good with that. But if you do decide that you want him…that you want both of us…I will play along, because I love you, and all I want is for you to be happy.”  
“All I want is you. They were just dreams. I don’t need or want them to be reality. I just want you.”  
“Yeah?”  
“Yeah.”  
“And Opie?”  
“I never want him. I’m not attracted to him. I’ve explained this. I just like the pain.”  
“Let him teach me.”  
“Yeah. Okay. He wants to bring Lyla over one night…Give you a lesson and her a demonstration at the same time. He’s still hoping she’ll change her mind.”  
“How do you feel about that?”  
“Exposed? Vulnerable? Uncertain? Turned on?”  
“Sounds about right.”  
“Do you have time before you have to go?”  
“Yeah.”

I move over to him and straddle his lap. I run my fingers through his hair, gently scratching his scalp as I kiss him.  
“I want you. I need you.”  
“Thought you said you needed to talk to me before I went to work.”  
“I did say that…Because I thought it would be frowned upon if I told our daughter that I wanted to fuck Daddy before he left for work.”  
“Fair. So you want to fuck me huh?”  
“Perpetually.”  
“Stand up.”

I stand up and he does the same. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him as he pushes me back into the wall. We separate long enough for our shirts to come off, then we’re kissing again as he pushes my pants and panties down and I step out of them. He kisses along my jaw and down my neck, pausing at my breasts to gently bite my nipples, then he’s on his knees in front of me. He lifts one of my legs over his shoulder and starts nibbling and licking at my pussy, sucking my clit into his mouth and flicking his tongue over it as he shoves two fingers into me. He pumps his fingers as I beg him for more. He adds a third finger and crooks them to hit my g-spot. I whimper his name as I come and he pulls his fingers out of me, sucking the fluids off of them as he stands up. 

I wrap my arms around his neck again, kissing him as he undoes his pants and pushes them down. He steps out of them before picking me up and slamming into me. I call out against his mouth and he pulls away enough to say:  
“No screaming, baby.”  
“You’re trying to kill me.”  
“Yup. That’s my goal. Kill the woman I love with my cock.”  
“So much snark. Geez.”  
Rather than responding to me, he thrusts into me, hitting just the right spot, causing me to whimper. He smirks as he thrusts into me the same way repeatedly as I gasp and drag my nails across his back.  
“Oh my god…Juice…Don’t stop…please.”  
He grunts as he keeps thrusting, the strain of not orgasming clear on his face. I reach down and rub my clit as I kiss him. When I’m close, I tighten my pelvic muscles around him and bite his lip. We orgasm together, both moaning the other’s name.  
“I love you. So much.”  
“Oh, my baby. I love you. I do have to go to work though, so we should shower.”


	32. Thirty-two

Once we’ve showered and gotten dressed, I wrap my arms around Juice and say:  
“Be careful. Come home to me.”  
“Always my love.”  
I kiss him and say:  
“Go say goodbye to Faith.”  
“I will, but first…”  
He kisses me, deep and passionate, before saying:  
“Are you sure about having everyone over for a BBQ tonight?”  
“Yeah. Little Miss and I are going to go grocery shopping once you leave. I’ll message Gemma, Lyla, and the other ladies. Can you talk to the guys?”  
“Yup. I love you.”  
“I love you.”

He’s quiet for a minute and then says:  
“Things are going to be changing. I can’t tell you how. I’m sorry for any pain it causes you. Just remember that I love you, and remember to listen to whatever Clarence tells you. Okay?”  
“You’re working with Clarence?”  
“Opie and I both are. His job is to make sure you, Lyla and the kids are safe. Listen to him. Please, baby.”  
“Tell me what to expect.”  
“I can’t. I need you to react to things naturally. Just remember how much I love you.”  
“This seems like I’m not going to like this.”  
“I love you. Trust Opie, trust Clarence, trust Leo. Don’t trust anyone else.”  
“Go say goodbye to Faith. I love you, so much, Juice. Don’t leave me.”  
“I will always come home to you.”

A few hours after he leaves, Faith and I go to the grocery store. We’re halfway through our shopping when Jax calls me.  
“What?”  
“There was an accident. Juice is in the hospital.”  
“What happened?”  
“I don’t know. He was with Ope. You need to come in, love.”  
“I’ll be right there.”

I hang up, and when I turn around to face Faith she says:  
“Is Daddy okay?”  
“I don’t know, baby. We have to go to the hospital.”  
I pull her out of the shopping cart and we leave the store.

When we get to the hospital, Opie wraps his arms around me and says:  
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. There was nothing I could do. You should leave Faith with Lyla in the chapel. She’s going to take all the kids.”

Before I can say anything, he whispers against my ear:  
“Clarence is waiting for Lyla and the kids outside. Tell her for me.”  
I nod and step out of his arms, walking towards the chapel. When I step inside, I put Faith down and hug Lyla. I whisper in her ear:  
“Clarence is waiting outside for you and the kids. You need to go now.”  
“Where are we going?”  
“I don’t know. Trust Clarence.”  
“Okay.”  
I say to Faith:  
“Listen to Aunty Lyla okay?”  
“Yes, Mommy.”  
I kiss the top of her head and leave the chapel. 

As I’m walking down the hall, Opie wraps his arm around me and says:  
“When you figure it out, don’t let Jax see. I’ll explain after…I promise. I’m sorry.”  
He leads me to the door of a treatment room and lets go of me. I walk into the room and start crying. 

Lying on the bed, covered with blood, is Juice…At least, from a distance it looks like Juice. His face is smashed up, making it hard to see actual facial features, but this man has a scar on his abdomen that Juice doesn’t have. He’s wearing Juice’s clothes and cut though, so clearly the plan requires everyone to think he’s Juice. 

I take his hand and cry. When I feel Opie walk up behind me and put his hand on my shoulder, I say:  
“What happened?”  
“We were riding out to see Alvarez. We were cut off. Juice’s bike went over an embankment. I guess he hit a rock or something. He was gone by the time we got here.”  
“I can’t be here. I need to go.”  
“I’ll take you, love.”

I keep crying as we walk out of the room, allowing Opie to hold me up a little to make it more realistic. When we get to Jax he says:  
“I’m sorry, Ronnie.”  
“You promised me that you’d keep him alive.”  
“It was an accident.”  
“They were cut off. That wasn’t a fucking accident, Jackson.”  
“I’ll figure out what happened, Ronnie.”  
“Good. I won’t be here.”  
“What?”  
“The only reason I hadn’t left already was Juice. Without him here…Faith and I will be leaving.”  
“After the funeral?”  
“I can’t bear to watch him be put in the ground. I can’t do it. I can’t bury someone else I love.”

Opie squeezes my side and says:  
“Come on, love. I’ll take you home.”  
I nod and allow him to lead me out of the hospital. Once we’re in the parking lot, I see that my car is gone.  
“Clarence’s guys work fast. They’ll be packing up our houses already too.”  
“What is going on?”  
“The club is going down. I figured out that Jax wanted to kill Juice. We decided it was time to let it go. The Mayans are going down too. Don’t worry, Eli has an exit plan, just like us.”

We get on his bike and drive out of town. When we stop, we’re at a private airfield outside of Oakland. The Kane Software plane is sitting there waiting for us. 

When we get on the plane, Lyla, the kids, my parents, Wayne, Darrell, Wallace, and Trinity are all there…

And in a chair in the back corner is Juice with Faith in his lap. I start crying and he whispers to Faith before she climbs off his lap and goes to sit with Dad. I walk over to Juice and curl up in his lap.  
“That was awful, and I never want to experience it again.”  
“I’m sorry, baby. We had to make it look good.”  
“What is even going on?”  
“Jax has been planning to kill me. He always intended for it to look like an accident. He wanted you to decide to stay with him after I died.”  
“So you and Ope are taking the club down, how?”  
“We talked to Leo. We told him everything from all the years we’ve been with the club. When Potter saw what we had, he gave us full immunity.”  
“No-one else is getting out?”  
“Just Kozik and Miles. Miles is taking off somewhere. Kozik was thinking about joining us."  
“But…Piney, Chibs, Happy, Bobby, Tig? We’re just letting them all go down?”  
“Piney told us to. Besides, none of them are innocent, love.”  
“What about Clay?”  
“He’s going down.”  
“Gemma?”  
“I don’t know, baby.”  
“Where are we going?”  
“The pilots know, we don’t. We’re just waiting for Eli.”

Just then the pilot says:  
“We’re not waiting for anyone. Boss says we need to go now. Apparently, the authorities just seized the little boys and the father is pissed. Boss will get the kids and the others out. Everyone buckle in. Kids can sit on an adult’s lap, but adults can’t.”

I move into a seat and Opie sits next to me. Everyone buckles in and we take off. 

We land two hours later and the pilot advises us that we’re now in Canada and that there are cars waiting for us on the tarmac. We get off the plane and pile into the cars. I ask the driver of our car:  
“Where are we going?”  
“To the Island, ma’am.”  
“The Island? There’s only one in Canada?”  
“Vancouver Island, ma’am. The others will meet us when we get to Tofino.”  
“Tofino?”  
“It’s on the Northwest side of the Island, ma’am. Small town, accessible by boat, seaplane, or a small highway across the island. Big with surfers and fishermen.”  
“Who chose to send us there?”  
“Your stepfather, ma’am.”  
“Of course he did.”

Two hours later we’re on a ferry. Everyone is inside except Juice and me. I had come out onto the deck to get some air and the next thing I knew, his arms were around me.  
“I’m sorry, my love. It was the only way to get us out.”  
“I’m just worried about Thomas and Abel. They must be so scared.”  
“Mac and Dick were going to be with Clarence when he took custody. At least that was the plan.”  
“How long have you been planning this?”  
“Since we were inside…Since you got custody of the boys.”  
“So, this morning? What was that?”  
“I wanted to give you the opportunity to have what you wanted.”  
“I only want you.”  
“So you’ve said.”  
“Do you know what the plan is?”  
“Jake bought houses under shell companies. He basically bought an entire street.”  
“And everyone is moving there?”  
“Yeah. We wanted to keep as much of the family together as possible.”  
“And when Jax comes for us to get his sons back?”  
“He won’t.”  
“How do you know?”  
“He killed an ATF agent.”  
“So did Ope.”  
“Ope has immunity. Jax will be getting the death penalty.”  
“Oh.”

I turn around in his arms and wrap my arms around his neck.  
“I hate you for making me believe, even for a second, that you were gone.”  
“I’m sorry, my love.”

A year later, we’re standing in our kitchen while the three kids eat breakfast. Juice is washing dishes and I have my arms wrapped around his waist, running my hands over his abdomen. He turns around in my arms and kisses me before saying:  
“I love you, wife.”  
“I love you, husband.”

The house phone rings and I answer it:  
“Hello?”  
“You have a call from inmate Jackson Teller at Atwater Federal Penitentiary. Do you accept the charges?”  
“Yes.”  
“Hi, baby. I know this wasn’t you. You didn’t even know what was going on until after you left, did you?”  
“I knew as soon as I walked into that room and realized it wasn’t Juice on that table.”  
“Looked like Juice.”  
“He had a scar that Juice doesn’t have. I know my husband’s body.”  
“Husband now?”  
“Yes. I’m not the only one whose last name has changed either. Abel and Thomas are both Ortiz now too.”  
“So he put me on death row, stole the woman I love, and stole my kids?”  
“Tara made it so the boys were legally mine before your mother had her killed. You know that. And he never stole me. I was always his.”  
“You love me.”  
“I stopped loving you the second you backhanded me.”  
“But you told me afterwards that you still did…That you forgave me.”  
“I lied.”  
“Veronica…”  
“Enjoy death row, Jax. I’ll be there to watch you die. You tried to take the man I love away from me.”  
“But, Veronica.”  
“Goodbye, Jackson.”


End file.
